This page includes the 18-week schedule and an embedded PDF of the full syllabus for ELS 603 Syntactic Theories.
Weekly Outline (18 Weeks)
| Week | Date | Topic / Focus |
|---|---|---|
| Week 01 | Sat, Feb 21, 2026 | Thinking syntactically: description vs analysis vs explanation; syntax vs semantics/pragmatics |
| Week 02 | Sat, Feb 28, 2026 | Constituency, alternations, distribution; limits of diagnostics |
| Week 03 | Sat, Mar 07, 2026 | Clause and phrase structure; complements vs adjuncts |
| Week 04 | Sat, Mar 14, 2026 | Basic generative syntax; argument positions; structural reasoning |
| Week 05 | Sat, Mar 21, 2026 | Valency; argument realization; alternations |
| Week 06 | Sat, Mar 28, 2026 | Voice, passives, non-canonical patterns |
| Week 07 | Sat, Apr 04, 2026 | Research Break 1 |
| Week 08 | Sat, Apr 11, 2026 | Functional syntax; transitivity; clause roles |
| Week 09 | Sat, Apr 18, 2026 | Theme–rheme; mood; modality |
| Week 10 | Sat, Apr 25, 2026 | Construction Grammar; argument structure constructions |
| Week 11 | Sat, May 02, 2026 | Research Break 2 |
| Week 12 | Sat, May 09, 2026 | Claims, warrants, counterexamples |
| Week 13 | Sat, May 16, 2026 | Theory limits; controlled comparison |
| Week 14 | Sat, May 23, 2026 | Peer review; revision strategies |
| Week 15 | Sat, May 30, 2026 | Research Break 3 |
| Week 16 | Sat, Jun 06, 2026 | Final submissions: manuscript + process portfolio; synthesis and closing |
| Week 17 | Sat, Jun 13, 2026 | Research symposium; theory reflection (Oral Research Presentations) |
| Week 18 | Sat, Jun 20, 2026 | Research symposium; theory reflection (Oral Research Presentations) |