Aspects of the Grammar of Focus

The book examines the aspects of focus within the recent minimalist paradigm. Focus is viewed here as a grammar's response to the requirements of the systems external to (narrowly defined) language. Thus, the properties of focus are explored at the two interfaces: syntax-phonology and syntax-semantics. The book surveys some recent views on the interface and left-periphery status of focus. With respect to the semantics of focus, the book argues for its tripartite division into: information, non-exhaustive identification, and exhaustive identification. It further contains a proposal of the phase-based derivation of sentences featuring focus in English, and finally, offers an account of Polish, in which focus interestingly correlates with the phenomenon of scrambling.

Autorentext

The Author: Przemyslaw Tajsner, born in 1959, was awarded an M.A. in English from Adam Mickiewicz University in Poznan in 1982 and has been employed in the School of English since 1983. His research interests include general linguistics, generative syntax, comparative syntax and studies in information structure. He completed his Ph.D. in 1990, his D.Litt. in 1998, and in 1999 became Associate Professor at the School. He has taught courses and conducted research in the field of generative linguistics.

Inhalt
Contents: Focus The Minimalist Program Syntax Grammar Nuclear Stress Syntax-phonology Interface Syntax-semantics Interface Left-periphery Topic Phases Derivation by Phases Scrambling Spell Out Cleft Sentences Emphatic Stress Probe-goal Agree Interface Condition Last Resort Feature Checking Tropicalization Functional Heads Information Structure.