Beginner's GB. The Beginner's Handbook on Government and Binding Theory of Syntax in a concise elementary approach

Document from the year 2015 in the subject Speech Science / Linguistics, , language: English, abstract: Government and Binding Theory is as simple as the approached used in teaching it. Due to the conventions of its framework, some of the good texts on the theory are often too difficult for average linguistics readers especially those that are not in the syntax sub-field. This book is therefore written to remove some of the barriers that hinder beginners from developing interest in the theory.

The book does not give detailed discussion. This is deliberate in order to prevent beginners from being scared. Therefore, the text is expected to be read in a very short time. During this period, readers should be able to have an overview of the theory. Some exercises were also provided for regular assessments.

Attempting those exercises will expose readers to some basic operations in the theory. Although, those questions may not require accurate answers; however, readers should attempt them even when the answers provided do not seem to be correct.


This text differs from other introductory texts in GB. First, it is not as detailed as other introductory texts written for GB. Second, it is easier to understand. Third, it is written for people who might not have had any strong grip of the theory. Therefore, this book should be seen as a starter pack for students before they will even be competent to read the well-known introductory texts. The focus on the basic terms may look too simple for people that are already acquainted with the theory since can easily use some of the popular introductory texts. However, this text can still be recommended to students by lecturers who want them to have a broad overview of the theoretical aspect before going deep into the data-driven aspect being used in natural language analysis.