Syntactic microvariation
This course discusses the mutual relevance of the study of microvariation and grammatical theory (in particular, syntactic theory). We will explore the two main approaches to variation in syntax: typology/functionalism and generativism. The main pros and cons of these approaches for explaining microvariation will be debated. This will be an interactive class, where students will be invited to present their own ideas on some data sets, and argue in favor or against one or the other approach.