Last modified: 05 Oct 2023 08:46
We all string words together without thinking, but how does this process actually work? What makes the difference between a meaningful phrase and word salad? In this course we will explore sentence structure through the study of syntax. Students will gain tools to describe and analyse sentences, drawing on a mixture of their own insights and data from a variety of languages to get to grips with the mechanisms that allow us to go beyond single-word utterances and communicate complex messages.
| Study Type | Undergraduate | Level | 3 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Term | First Term | Credit Points | 30 credits (15 ECTS credits) |
| Campus | Aberdeen | Sustained Study | No |
| Co-ordinators |
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While arranging words into phrases and sentences is something we do without thinking, this process is in fact governed by a complex set of rules which constitute an internal grammar available to speakers of any given language. The study of syntax takes as a starting point our surface knowledge of how words are combined in different languages and attempts to systematically describe and explain the types of mental computation which might underlie our linguistic output. This course examines how sentences are constructed from a syntactic perspective, and how this component of language interacts with other aspects such as morphology and semantics to give us meaning that goes beyond single words. Students will be introduced to tools for syntactic analysis and have the opportunity to apply them.
Information on contact teaching time is available from the course guide.
| Assessment Type | Summative | Weighting | 40 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Assessment Weeks | 5 | Feedback Weeks | 8 | |
| Feedback |
Feedback will be provided by tutors in written form through the online coursework submission platform Turnitin.
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| Knowledge Level | Thinking Skill | Outcome |
|---|---|---|
| Conceptual | Analyse | Have the ability to identify, describe, and analyse the syntax of sentences. |
| Conceptual | Understand | Have an understanding of the structure of sentences and how this contributes to their meaning. |
| Factual | Understand | Have the basic technical vocabulary needed to describe grammatical phenomena. |
| Procedural | Analyse | Have the theoretical and conceptual tools to analyse and present syntactic data. |
| Assessment Type | Summative | Weighting | 20 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Assessment Weeks | 1,2,3,4,5,6,7,8,9,10,11 | Feedback Weeks | 12 | |
| Feedback |
Students will be provided with a comment through the Blackboard platform, as well as oral feedback from the tutor throughout the course if desired.
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| Knowledge Level | Thinking Skill | Outcome |
|---|---|---|
| Conceptual | Analyse | Have the ability to identify, describe, and analyse the syntax of sentences. |
| Conceptual | Understand | Have an understanding of the structure of sentences and how this contributes to their meaning. |
| Factual | Understand | Have the basic technical vocabulary needed to describe grammatical phenomena. |
| Procedural | Analyse | Have the theoretical and conceptual tools to analyse and present syntactic data. |
| Assessment Type | Summative | Weighting | 40 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Assessment Weeks | 10 | Feedback Weeks | 12 | |
| Feedback |
Feedback will be provided by tutors in written form through the online coursework submission platform Turnitin.
|
|||
| Knowledge Level | Thinking Skill | Outcome |
|---|---|---|
| Conceptual | Analyse | Have the ability to identify, describe, and analyse the syntax of sentences. |
| Conceptual | Understand | Have an understanding of the structure of sentences and how this contributes to their meaning. |
| Factual | Understand | Have the basic technical vocabulary needed to describe grammatical phenomena. |
| Procedural | Analyse | Have the theoretical and conceptual tools to analyse and present syntactic data. |
There are no assessments for this course.
| Assessment Type | Summative | Weighting | 100 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Assessment Weeks | Feedback Weeks | |||
| Feedback |
Approximately 3,000 words Feedback will be provided by tutors in written form through the online coursework submission platform Turnitin. |
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| Knowledge Level | Thinking Skill | Outcome |
|---|---|---|
|
|
||
| Knowledge Level | Thinking Skill | Outcome |
|---|---|---|
| Procedural | Analyse | Have the theoretical and conceptual tools to analyse and present syntactic data. |
| Conceptual | Understand | Have an understanding of the structure of sentences and how this contributes to their meaning. |
| Factual | Understand | Have the basic technical vocabulary needed to describe grammatical phenomena. |
| Conceptual | Analyse | Have the ability to identify, describe, and analyse the syntax of sentences. |
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