Study Programmes 2016-2017
LGER0116-1  
English synchronic linguistics (in-depth approach)
Duration :
30h Th
Number of credits :
Master in modern languages and literatures : German, Dutch and English (120 ECTS)10
Master in linguistics (120 ECTS)10
Master in modern languages and literatures : general (120 ECTS)10
Lecturer :
An Van linden
Language(s) of instruction :
English language
Organisation and examination :
Teaching in the first semester, review in January
Units courses prerequisite and corequisite :
Prerequisite or corequisite units are presented within each program
Learning unit contents :
This course concentrates on verb argument structure in English. It first introduces the traditional classification of basic verb classes and clause types, which is largely based on syntactic argument structure. The course will then home in on several analytical problems associated with transitivity:


  • Argument structure: Is it a verbal property or a constructional property?
  • Degrees of transitivity; transitivity as a scalar notion
  • Tension between semantic argument structure and grammatical relations, e.g. notion of subject (Syntactic function only? Semantic import? Information-structural properties? Expletive subjects?)
  • Syntactic 'alternations', e.g. dative alternation, locative alternation: How to account for the distribution of the member constructions? How to conceive of the member constructions (derived by syntactic operations or constructions in their own right)?
Learning outcomes of the learning unit :
Introduction into the methods of corpus linguistics; analysis of corpus data; deeper insights into the domain of verb argument structure and the analytical problems related to transitivity.
Prerequisite knowledge and skills :
Very good knowledge of English; English Language 1 & 2; English linguistics 1 & 2
Planned learning activities and teaching methods :
The course involves interactive seminars in which students will discuss corpus data, read scientific articles, and eventually carry out a corpus study themselves.
Mode of delivery (face-to-face ; distance-learning) :
Face-to-face seminars.
Recommended or required readings :
All teaching materials will be made available on eCampus.
Assessment methods and criteria :
Students will have to carry out a corpus study on a topic related to verb argument structure in English. They will have to report on their findings in both an oral presentation and a research paper. This paper integrates feedback from teacher and peers, relates its findings to the existing literature, and meets the formal requirements of a scientific publication. Expected length: 7,000-9,000 words (including abstract and references). More precisely, grades will be given as follows:
  • oral presentation: 5/20
  • research article: 15/20
The oral presentation will take place during class hours; the research article is due on 16 January 2017
Work placement(s) :
Organizational remarks :
Contacts :
Teacher in charge of the course :
An Van linden Département de Langues et littératures modernes Place Cockerill, 3-5 B-4000 Liège Tel. 04 366 53 60 E-mail: an.vanlinden@ulg.ac.be
Items online :
Online Notes
Notes are available online. See link below.