An accessible but incisive introduction to modern syntax and generative grammar, for conlangers and anyone interested in languages or linguistics. Syntax can be frustrating, because there are multiple schools that seem to fight over inessential things. I hope I can show you that this is normal for a new field, and that it actually makes syntax fun. New discoveries are being made, and you can participate- something that's a lot harder to do in, say, quantum mechanics. The emphasis here is on doing syntax-- learning how to make and how to evaluate syntactic arguments.What's in it? An introduction to the Chomsky Hierarchy, a classification of grammars that's used both in linguistics and computer science, as well as a comparison to other generative techniques, such as Markov text generators. A tour of Chomsky's methods- production rules and transformations- with overnight stays in the Syntactic Structures, X-bar, and Minimalist stages in his thought. A leisurely stroll through interesting bits of syntax: the English verbal complex, pronouns and other anaphors, relative clauses, quantifiers and more. The emphasis is on doing syntax- not just learning rules and drawing trees, but learning how syntactic arguments are made. An overview of alternatives to Chomsky's approach: generative syntax, cognitive linguistics, relational grammars, word grammar, construction grammar, Jackendoff's Simpler Syntax, and Comrie's universals. A chapter on production which asks, how real are these grammars? Do we really have syntactic categories and transformations in the brain, or in the genome? A chapter on how you can apply all this to your conlangs. The Syntactic Bestiary- an annotated list of transformations and constraints, which you can think about for conlanging, or use to evaluate syntactic theories. Plus, unlike most syntax textbooks, this one comes with a set of web toys so you can see the rules in action and write your own. It makes the ideas come alive much more than mere diagrams can.

The sequel to the Language Construction Kit: learn more about constructed languages and about linguistics: logic, pidgins and creoles, sign languages, the linguistic life cycle, and a meaty step-by-step survey of morphosyntax. Create detailed and plausible languages for RPGs, fantasy and science fiction, movies, or video games... or just learn more about how languages work with the same accurate yet fun approach as the original LCK.

A guide to creating realistic languages for RPGs, fantasy and science fiction, movies or video games, or international communication... or just an unusual way to learn about how languages work.

Of the 6000 languages now spoken throughout the world around 3000 may become extinct during the next century. This guide gives linguists the tools to describe them, syntactically and grammatically, for future reference.

This textbook provides an introduction to language typology which assumes minimal prior knowledge of linguistics.

A valuable companion to Andrew Carnie’s Syntax: A Generative Introduction, 4th Edition, full of practice questions and engaging exercises to promote student comprehension Syntax: A Generative Introduction, Fourth Edition, is the leading textbook for undergraduate courses in the syntax, covering foundational topics such as universal grammar, parts of speech, constituency, trees, structural relations, binding theory, x-bar theory, and movement, as well as advanced subjects such as control theory, ellipsis, polysynthesis, incorporation, non-configurationality, and Merge. Written by Syntax author Andrew Carnie, The Syntax Workbook has been purposefully designed to support and complement the use of Syntax in the undergraduate classroom. The Syntax Workbook is the perfect companion to the author’s seminal textbook and contains updated practice material for every section of the text. This workbook: Includes exercises, practice questions, data analysis, and knowledge application questions for each section in Syntax: A Generative Introduction, Fourth Edition Features exercises and questions with full answers and explanations to assist students in learning to apply theory to practice Has been authored by leading figure in syntax Andrew Carnie to support classroom usage of Syntax: A Generative Introduction, Fourth Edition Works in concert with a student companion website, offering a robust selection of learning tools for the classroom Ideal for undergraduate courses in syntax, Syntax: A Generative Introduction, Fourth Edition, and The Syntax Workbook, Second Edition, together offer a perfect combination of thorough coverage and valuable practice. The workbook can be purchased on its own or in a set with the textbook. Available as a set with Syntax: A Generative Introduction, 4th Edition

Even though the range of phenomena syntactic theories intend to account for is basically the same, the large number of current approaches to syntax shows how differently these phenomena can be interpreted, described, and explained. The goal of the volume is to probe into the question of how exactly these frameworks differ and what if anything they have in common. Descriptions of a sample of current approaches to syntax are presented by their major practitioners (Part I) followed by their metatheoretical underpinnings (Part II). Given that the goal is to facilitate a systematic comparison among the approaches, a checklist of issues was given to the contributors to address. The main headings are Data, Goals, Descriptive Tools, and Criteria for Evaluation. The chapters are structured uniformly allowing an item-by-item survey across the frameworks. The introduction lays out the parameters along which syntactic frameworks must be the same and how they may differ and a final paper draws some conclusions about similarities and differences. The volume is of interest to descriptive linguists, theoreticians of grammar, philosophers of science, and studies of the cognitive science of science.