Ling 120B: Syntax I
Spring 2025
Mon/Wed 4-5:50pm, Public Affairs 1234
1 Course information
Course description: This course is an introduction to basic goals and methods of current syntactic theory through a detailed analysis of a range of phenomena, with emphasis on argumentation and empirical justification. We will develop a theory of syntax—sentence structure—within the Principles & Parameters framework. Linguistic patterns will therefore be analyzed as the result of a small set of grammatical principles, with cross-linguistic variation arising from different settings of parameters. Major topics of this course will include phrase structure and constituency, subcategorization, and word order. We will investigate these topics in English and various other languages.
Prerequisite: Linguistics 20.
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Syntax after Ling 120B: The Department of Linguistics also offers Ling 165B (Syntax II), intended as an elective continuation of Ling 120B with a more detailed and cross-linguistic focus. Please check the course schedule if you are interested in taking Ling 165B in the future.
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Course tools: BruinLearn—for lecture notes, discussion notes, BruinCast recordings, etc.
Gradescope (linked on BruinLearn)—for multiple-choice check-ins, homework, etc.
There is no textbook for this course. Instead, your “textbook” will be comprised of lecture slides and accompanying notes, as well as any content covered in discussion sections.
For lectures: The lecture material will always be uploaded to BruinLearn an hour before class to facilitate note-taking. Please also bring either an electronic tablet or a paper notebook, as we will practise drawing syntactic trees during class! In addition, the lectures will be audio recorded via BruinCast; the recordings will be available on BruinLearn (>Media Gallery).
2 Evaluation
Throughout this course, you will be permitted to discuss all of your responses with classmates (except on the final). However, your homework must be submitted individually unless stated otherwise, the names of your collaborators must be listed, and you must explicitly attest in the document that you put equal effort into the submission as your collaborators. See the section on academic honesty below for further details. I will give frequent reminders (in class and over email) about all assignments and deadlines.
(1) Homework (50%): There will be five (5) homework assignments in this course (10% each), consisting of problem sets and review and application of key concepts. They will be assigned on Weeks 2, 4, 6, 8, 10*, and will only reflect course material from the previous week(s). They will always be posted on Gradescope on Monday mornings, and will be due on Sundays at 11:59pm (*except Homework #5, assigned Week 10, will be due Friday, 11:59pm). The assignments are to be submitted electronically on Gradescope.
- If you require an extension, please email me before Friday 5pm! I do not usually check email on weekends. I am always happy to grant extensions when asked, but if I do not see your email in time (i.e., if you email me over the weekend), your homework may count as late.
- Late policy: 3% deduction per day late. For example: if you submit your homework two days late and score a 74%, your adjusted grade for that particular assignment will be 68%. If your homework is more than 48 hours late, whether it will be accepted is up to my discretion.
(2) Final (25%): There will be an in-person final for this course, designed to evaluate your broad understanding of the course material. The final will be cumulative and will consist of both the review of key concepts and the analysis of new and familiar linguistic data. The final will take place Monday, June 9, 2025, 8:00-11:00am; the location for the final will be announced at a later date.
(3) Check-ins (25%): You will complete weekly online check-ins starting Week 1, so each check- in is worth 2.5% (2.5x10=25). These will generally consist of either 5 or 10 multiple choice questions (depending on the week), and are designed simply for me to ensure that you are fol- lowing along in the class. You will always receive full credit (100%) if you score either 7/10 (70%) or 3/5 (60%) or above. The check-ins will be posted on Gradescope on Thursday, 2:00pm of the relevant week, and will expire that Sunday, at 11:59pm.
- Unless you have accommodations, the check-ins cannot be submitted late, so please be mindful of the deadlines.
(4) Bonus (up to +2%): Starting Week 1, there will be weekly discussion sections led by your TAs. Attendance is not mandatory, but is highly encouraged via bonus points to be applied to your final grade. If you attend at least 3/10 discussion sections, you will receive a 1% bonus; if you attend at least 7/10 discussion sections, you will instead receive a 2% bonus.
- If you cannot attend the section you are registered in, you may attend another section if you clear it with your TAs. But please attend the same section all quarter, so we can keep track of your attendance.
Grading: The grading scale used for this course is the UCLA standard scale. Plus and Minus grades will be assigned for A, B, C, and D. I will use the following percentage-to-letter grade system:
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A+ A A-
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97%+
93%–96.99%
90%–92.99%
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B+ B B-
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87%–89.99%
83%–86.99%
80%–82.99%
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C+ C C-
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77%–79.99%
73%–76.99%
70%–72.99%
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D+ D D-
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67-69.99%
63%–66.99%
60%–62.99%
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