Students

LING2220 – Syntax

2022 – Session 1, In person-scheduled-weekday, North Ryde

General Information

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Unit convenor and teaching staff Unit convenor and teaching staff
Iain Giblin
iain.giblin@mq.edu.au
Credit points Credit points
10
Prerequisites Prerequisites
LING110 or LING111 or LING1111
Corequisites Corequisites
Co-badged status Co-badged status
Unit description Unit description
This unit is an introduction to syntactic theory from the perspective of Chomsky's Universal Grammar. It introduces important grammatical phenomena and demonstrates how these phenomena can be studied in a systematic theoretical manner. Students will learn about the grammatical principles that constitute human languages and acquire the ability to analyse phrases and sentences using these principles.

Important Academic Dates

Information about important academic dates including deadlines for withdrawing from units are available at https://www.mq.edu.au/study/calendar-of-dates

Learning Outcomes

On successful completion of this unit, you will be able to:

  • ULO1: apply diagnostic tests to identify structural features of natural langauge syntax
  • ULO2: read and draw syntax trees and apply syntactic transformations
  • ULO3: apply the scientific method to test hypotheses about the structure of English and other languages
  • ULO4: explain arguments for and against the theory of Universal Grammar
  • ULO5: research and explain a topic of study in syntax

General Assessment Information

General Assessment Information

  • If a student fails the unit due to non-submission of an assignment or non-attendance at an exam, an FA grade will be applied in accordance with the University's Assessment Policy.

Late Submissions Policy

  • Requesting an extension to assignment due date

    On occasion, you may be in a situation when you aren't able to submit an assessment task on time. Extensions are only given in special circumstances, by completing a Special Consideration request. For more information on Special Consideration, see https://students.mq.edu.au/study/my-study-program/special-consideration  

    Late submission of assignments

    If you haven't been approved for an extension and you submit your assessment task late, penalties are applied. You should consult your unit convenor if you are in this position. Late submissions will receive a 5% per day penalty. If you submit the assessment task 10 days or more beyond the due date, without an approved extension, you will be awarded a maximum of 50% of the overall assessment marks. Weekends and public holidays are included.

    Late submissions for an assessment task will not be accepted once that assessment task has been marked and returned to students. Any student with unsubmitted work at this date will receive a mark of 0 for the assessment task. Quizzes must be done in the prescribed assessment window and the final exam will have a fixed time during the university exam period.

Additional Assessment information

Problem sets will be posted 2 weeks before the due date.

Assessment Tasks

Name Weighting Hurdle Due
Quiz 1 and Quiz 2 30% No Weeks 4 and 9
Problem Sets 1-4 25% No Weeks 6, 8, 10, and 12
Topic in syntax 15% No Week 13
Final Exam 30% No Exam Period

Quiz 1 and Quiz 2

Assessment Type 1: Quiz/Test
Indicative Time on Task 2: 20 hours
Due: Weeks 4 and 9
Weighting: 30%

 

Tutorial quiz that covers essential material from previous weeks. Short answer quiz 40 minutes.

 
On successful completion you will be able to:
  • apply diagnostic tests to identify structural features of natural langauge syntax
  • read and draw syntax trees and apply syntactic transformations
  • apply the scientific method to test hypotheses about the structure of English and other languages
  • explain arguments for and against the theory of Universal Grammar

Problem Sets 1-4

Assessment Type 1: Problem set
Indicative Time on Task 2: 30 hours
Due: Weeks 6, 8, 10, and 12
Weighting: 25%

 

Problem Sets 1-4 present students with data that they must analyse using syntactic theory. Short answer questions. Each problem set approximately 500 words.

 
On successful completion you will be able to:
  • apply diagnostic tests to identify structural features of natural langauge syntax
  • read and draw syntax trees and apply syntactic transformations
  • apply the scientific method to test hypotheses about the structure of English and other languages

Topic in syntax

Assessment Type 1: Essay
Indicative Time on Task 2: 15 hours
Due: Week 13
Weighting: 15%

 

Students will research and write an expository essay on a topic in syntax. Approximately 800 words.

 
On successful completion you will be able to:
  • apply diagnostic tests to identify structural features of natural langauge syntax
  • read and draw syntax trees and apply syntactic transformations
  • apply the scientific method to test hypotheses about the structure of English and other languages
  • explain arguments for and against the theory of Universal Grammar
  • research and explain a topic of study in syntax

Final Exam

Assessment Type 1: Examination
Indicative Time on Task 2: 20 hours
Due: Exam Period
Weighting: 30%

 

Final exam that covers unit work. Short answer questions. Two hour exam.

 
On successful completion you will be able to:
  • apply diagnostic tests to identify structural features of natural langauge syntax
  • read and draw syntax trees and apply syntactic transformations
  • apply the scientific method to test hypotheses about the structure of English and other languages
  • explain arguments for and against the theory of Universal Grammar

1 If you need help with your assignment, please contact:

  • the academic teaching staff in your unit for guidance in understanding or completing this type of assessment
  • the Writing Centre for academic skills support.

2 Indicative time-on-task is an estimate of the time required for completion of the assessment task and is subject to individual variation

Delivery and Resources

Unit content will be provided in lectures and tutorials. There is no assigned textbook for this unit.

Policies and Procedures

Macquarie University policies and procedures are accessible from Policy Central (https://policies.mq.edu.au). Students should be aware of the following policies in particular with regard to Learning and Teaching:

Students seeking more policy resources can visit Student Policies (https://students.mq.edu.au/support/study/policies). It is your one-stop-shop for the key policies you need to know about throughout your undergraduate student journey.

To find other policies relating to Teaching and Learning, visit Policy Central (https://policies.mq.edu.au) and use the search tool.

Student Code of Conduct

Macquarie University students have a responsibility to be familiar with the Student Code of Conduct: https://students.mq.edu.au/admin/other-resources/student-conduct

Results

Results published on platform other than eStudent, (eg. iLearn, Coursera etc.) or released directly by your Unit Convenor, are not confirmed as they are subject to final approval by the University. Once approved, final results will be sent to your student email address and will be made available in eStudent. For more information visit ask.mq.edu.au or if you are a Global MBA student contact globalmba.support@mq.edu.au

Academic Integrity

At Macquarie, we believe academic integrity – honesty, respect, trust, responsibility, fairness and courage – is at the core of learning, teaching and research. We recognise that meeting the expectations required to complete your assessments can be challenging. So, we offer you a range of resources and services to help you reach your potential, including free online writing and maths support, academic skills development and wellbeing consultations.

Student Support

Macquarie University provides a range of support services for students. For details, visit http://students.mq.edu.au/support/

The Writing Centre

The Writing Centre provides resources to develop your English language proficiency, academic writing, and communication skills.

The Library provides online and face to face support to help you find and use relevant information resources. 

Student Services and Support

Macquarie University offers a range of Student Support Services including:

Student Enquiries

Got a question? Ask us via AskMQ, or contact Service Connect.

IT Help

For help with University computer systems and technology, visit http://www.mq.edu.au/about_us/offices_and_units/information_technology/help/. 

When using the University's IT, you must adhere to the Acceptable Use of IT Resources Policy. The policy applies to all who connect to the MQ network including students.

Changes since First Published

Date Description
07/02/2022 The following statement has been removed: It is a requirement in this unit that students sit the final exam. Students who do not sit the final exam will receive a grade of FA.

Unit information based on version 2022.02 of the Handbook