A Biography of Generative Grammar

This book provides an in-depth history of the Generative transformational theory of syntax. It outlines the changes that Generative syntax has undergone in this period, and shows not only how these changes relate to the internal dynamics of the field, but also how the Generative enterprise relates to other theories of natural and formal languages.

This book provides an in-depth history of the transformational Generative theory of grammar, from Chomsky''s seminal The Logical Structure of Linguistic Theory (1955) to ongoing work in the Minimalist Program, with a primary focus on the evolution of technical aspects of the theory of syntax. It outlines the changes that Generative syntax has undergone in this period, and shows not only how these changes relate to the internal dynamics of the field, but also how the Generative enterprise relates to other theories of natural and formal languages. Comparisons between these approaches help to place Generative grammar in its historical and methodological context, and to show which current theories are compatible with other formalisms and which are not. The aim of the book is twofold: to provide students with the necessary tools to access specialized texts and primary sources in any of the Generative transformational models, and to offer experienced linguists a reference work documenting the many different developments in the theory.