The Syntax of German

Literature: The Syntax of German: Table of Contents

To appear in the series „Cambridge Syntax Guides“at Cambridge University press

Contents
I. DESCRIPTIVE SYNTAX OF GERMAN [50-70p.]
1. Comparative typology: German, a Germanic OV-language with V2
1.1 The V2-property of Germanic languages
1.2 The linearization of heads and complements: variants and invariants

2. The structure of the simple clause – an overview
2.1 The main segments of a clause: (A) – Vfin – (B) – (Vn) – (C)
2.2 Contraints and generalizations on the instantiations of the segments
2.3 The phrase structure of the segments and the clause
2.4 Clausal typing: declarative, interrogative, imperative

3. The structure of embedded clauses
3.1 The structure of finite clauses
3.2 Infinitival clauses
3.3 Sub-clausal infinitival complements
3.4 Generalizations on German clause structure

4. Case: a nominative-accusative language with a four-way case paradigm
4.1 The morphological case system
4.2 Case assignment regularities
4.3 Case of arguments, adverbials, and predicates

5. Word order variation
5.1 Word order of pronominals
5.2 Scrambling
5.3 Adverbial order

6. Argument changing processes
6.1 Argument structure and auxiliary selection
6.2 Argument reduction – passive and equivalents
6.3 Middle formation
6.4 Causatives and reduced causatives

II. THEORETICAL ISSUES [140-175p.]
7. Scrambling – base structures, derivation, triggers [25-30p.]
7.1 Empirical survey and generalizations
7.2 A-movement, A´-movement, variable base order? – empirical adequacy
7.3 Controversial issues (evidence from parasitic gaps, Q-float, crossing, etc.)

8. Long distance dependencies [25-30p.]
8.1 Wh-movement phenomena (Interrogative, relative, comparative clauses; topicalization)
8.2 Structural constraints on long distance dependencies (plus lack of superiority)
8.3 Dependency constraints (bridge verbs, selection; remnant topicalization, …)

9. Extraposition [20-25p.]
9.1 Empirical survey and generalizations
9.2 Derived or base structure? – Adjunction or complementation?
9.3 Structure and linearization: constraints on adjunction

10. The syntax of infinitival constructions [25-30p.]
10.1 Three types of infinitival complements in Germans
10.2 Clausal infinitives
10.3 Clause union infinitival complements (verb raising)
10.4 The third construction
10.5 A comprehensive comparison between English, Dutch and German infinitivals

11. Predicates [15-20p.]
11.1 Depictive and resultative predicates
11.2 Predication or small clauses?
11.3 The order of predicates in a crosslinguistic perspective: English, Scandinavian, German.
11.4 Implications for clause structure

12. Binding [10-15p.]
12.1 Reflexives (weak, strong) and Reciprocals
12.2 Disjoint reference

13. The clause structure of German – results and controversies [20-25p.]
13.1 Controversies on the interplay of functional and lexical projections
13.2 Operations and constraints on the basic clause structure
13.3 What the theory predicts: a brief comparison between a representational (HPSG) versus a derivational account.