Examines tense, aspect, and voice choices in the reporting verbs in a corpus of research articles from the "Journal of Psychosomatic Medicine." Investigates how such choices correlate with other syntactic elements in the citations, as well as with the discourse functions of the citations in their contexts. (TB)

Explores what "grammar" means. Suggests that grammar has a place in the writing classroom and the whole-language classroom. Suggests that modifying "grammar" with adjectives such as "functional" and "rhetorical" can contribute to positive, meaningful changes in the language arts curriculum. (RS)

Explains why people say "for she and I"--and argues that such usage is correct. (RS)

Reviews a collection of articles written on Noam Chomsky. The collection consists of four volumes focusing on Linguistics, Philosophy, Anthropology, and Chomsky's impact on contemporary thought relative to disciplines influenced by generative grammar. (36 references) (CK)

Examined processing of noun-noun compounds in which the internal noun is pluralized (such as "new books shelf"), contrary to normal constraints prohibiting such constructions. Tested 36 3- to 5-year olds on their interpretations of compounds fronted by an adjective. Results suggest that children's word formation processes allow complex…

Shows how to characterize language learning in a finite parameter space, such as in the "principles-and-parameters" approach, as a Markov structure. Explains how sample complexity varies with input distributions and learning regimes. Finds that a simple random-step algorithm always converges to the right target language and works faster than a…

Argues that the punctuation system does have features that generally make systems learnable, such as binary contrasts, limitation of parallel categories to seven or fewer options, and repeated application of the same criterion to different kinds of entities. Concludes that the simplicity that allows some readers to learn this system unconsciously…

Examines production of predicates by Korean agrammatic aphasic patients with respect to argument structure distribution of predicates. Analyzed narrative production and picture/scene description data elicited from three Broca's aphasic patients compared with matched controls. Focused on whether subjects have the same type difficulties that Kegl's…

Examines the theory of "natural semantic metalanguage," which argues that all languages share an irreducible core of universal semantic primitives with certain universal syntactic properties. Hypotheses on the universal syntax of semantic primitives are outlined. Topics include valency options and complementation possibilities of…

Discusses frequency effects in language acquisition. Provides an example of how frequency may relate to grammatical judgments of nonnative speakers acquisition of multiple wh-questions. (Author/VWL)

Reanalyzes what the literature has taken to be children's productions of Gen subjects and argues that Gen subjects do not exist in child English. Suggests that what look like Gen subjects appear only in specific discourse contexts: contexts of contrastive focus or contexts of emphatic focus. (Author/VWL)

Data from three children learning Spanish are explored for the development of linguistic person in an inflectional language. Contrastive use of person, tense, and number and the presence of overt subjects and overt objects are examined. (Author/VWL)

Describes six categories of websites on grammar. Considers the advantages and disadvantages that Internet grammar provides. Presents an annotated list of 15 web sites on grammar. Suggests adopting a positive but cautious approach to grammar on the Internet. Concludes that grammar on the Internet is a potentially helpful resource to use in addition…

Analyzes the narrative structure of the film "Fight Club," addressing its critique of consumerism and its celebration of masculinity. Addresses the representational politics that structure the movie, especially its deeply conventional views of violence, gender relations, and masculinity. Considers the role that "Fight Club" and other cultural…

Describes three approaches with which grammar may be welcomed back into the composition classroom. Considers how the teaching of grammar is making a comeback, with scholars acknowledging that the objections raised by process theories were valid but also investigating how to use grammar in writing classrooms, how to answer old process objections,…