80-285 Natural Language Syntax

9 units, Carnegie Mellon University

This course regards modern linguistics as a set of powerful tools for understanding and using language, and among all the subfields of linguistics, syntax as one of the most powerful. There are, however, many approaches to syntax so how should one choose which syntax to study? In 1957, Chomsky published Syntactic Structures, building on earlier research but at the same time providing a novel approach to age-old problems in linguistics, particularly the productivity problem and the learning problem. (How do speakers produce and understand novel sentences, and how do children learn without being taught?) While it is true that the field has progressed far since 1957, Syntactic Structures still stands out for its simplicity and usefulness. In this course we look at how more recent developments in syntax can be reconciled with this earlier approach. Particular focus is on how students can use syntax, in learning other languages and in refining their own use of language.

Prerequisites: 80-180

Offered: Spring 2026

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