Generative Syntax

Abstract

The term generative syntax refers to research on natural language syntax within the framework of generative grammar. It has its origins in Chomsky's Syntactic Structures. The most influential approach has been transformational grammar, in which some constituents are moved to their superficial position from other positions, but there have been various other approaches. For all approaches, questions arise about what sorts of structures are appropriate and what sorts of rules and principles are necessary. Questions also arise about the relation of syntax to semantics, morphology, phonology, and the lexicon. Major foci of research in generative syntax have been clause structure, noun phrase structure, and the various non-local dependencies that natural languages exhibit. Facts about acquisition and processing are potentially important for theories of syntax.