Experimental Syntax : Applying Objective Methods to Sentence Judgments

This book provides a concise yet thorough introduction to methods that linguists can use to study patterns of sentence acceptability in speech.

Experimental Syntax shows how to design, execute and analyze an appropriate survey experiment for a well-formed question about a matter of fact relative to sentence acceptability. The book also examines variability and demonstrates a method by which an investigator can make principled decisions as to whether two or more informants who use atypical dialects are using the same atypical dialect.

This original work provides a concise introduction to methods that linguists may use to describe patterns of sentence "acceptability" in speech communities. Experimental Syntax will enable an investigator with a well-formed question about a matter of fact-- relative to sentence acceptability--to design, execute, and analyze an appropriate survey experiment. The book examines variability and demonstrates a method by which an investigator can make principled decisions as to whether individual informants do or do not use a particular "dialect." Furthermore, this well-formulated book shows how to determine whether two or more informants who use atypical dialects are using the same atypical dialect. Experimental Syntax is recommended to researchers and professionals in linguistics who are interested in learning more about the methods available for dialect and sentence structure studies.