Linguistics 566:
Introduction to Syntax for Computational Linguistics

A core course in UW's Professional Master's in Computational Linguistics

Autumn 2013

Course Info

Lecture: TTh 1:30-2:50, MGH 231, and online
Text: Sag, Wasow and Bender 2003 (errata in the textbook)
Our GoPost bulletin board
Our CollectIt dropbox
Our CommonView page (links to lecture recordings and homework/exam answer keys)
GradeBook

Instructor Info

Instructor: Emily M. Bender

Office Hours: (most) Fridays 12:30-2:00 & by appt.
Office: Guggenheim 418B & skype
Phone: +1 (206) 543-6914
Email: ebender at uw

TA: Joshua Crowgey
- Office Hours: Thursdays 10:30-11:25 & by appt.
- Office: GUG 407 (desk 31) & skype
- Email: jcrowgey at uw

Syllabus

Description

This course covers fundamental concepts in syntactic analysis such as part of speech types, constituent structure, the syntax-semantics interface, and phenomena such as complementation, raising, control, passive and long-distance dependencies. We will emphasize formally precise encoding of linguistic hypotheses and the design of grammars that can scale up to ever larger fragments of a language such as is required in practical applications. Through the course, we will progressively build up a consistent grammar for a fragment of English. Problem sets will introduce data and phenomena from other languages.

Course goals

By the end of this course students will be able to:

Recognize certain classes of syntactic phenomena
Build analyses of those phenomena in the HPSG framework
Apply the process of building a formalized analysis to test linguistic hypotheses

Note

Note: To request academic accommodations due to a disability, please contact Disabled Student Services, 448 Schmitz, 206-543-8924 (V/TTY). If you have a letter from Disabled Student Services indicating that you have a disability which requires academic accommodations, please present the letter to the instructor so we can discuss the accommodations you might need in this class.

Requirements

Note: All homework and exams should be turned online via CollectIt as pdf files (only). Absolutely no .doc, .docx, .txt etc.

Weekly problem sets: 45% Students are encouraged to work on the problem sets in small groups, but answers should be written up individually
Reading questions: 5% (due midnight the night before each lecture)
Midterm exam: 15% (take-home, no collaboration allowed)
Final exam: 35% (take-home, no collaboration allowed)
Up to 2% adjustment for in-class or GoPost participation.

Late homework policy

I would like to be able to post the answer keys to homeworks immediately after you turn them in, so that you can compare your answers while the issues are still fresh in your mind. However, if there are students who haven't yet turned in their homework, I can't do that. Accordingly, I have adopted the following late-homework policy:

Homework is due at 5pm on the date posted.
Unless you've made prior arrangements with me, homework turned in within one day of the due date will receive 80% credit, two days 70% credit. No credit after that, though I will still be willing to look it over and make comments.
By prior arrangements, I mean contacting me no later than the day before the homework is due (i.e., Sunday for homework due Monday) with the reason you feel you can't complete your homework on time. At that time, I will decide whether or not to grant an extension, and for how long.
This policy also applies to the midterm exam.
No late finals will be accepted.

Schedule of Topics and Assignments (under construction)

Lectures will assume that students have completed the assigned reading first.

Date Topic Reading Due

9/26 Introduction/organization
First attempts at a theory of grammar Ch 1

9/27 HW 0 due

10/1 CFG
Why NL aren't CF Ch 2

10/3 Feature structures
Headed Rules, Trees Ch 3

10/4 HW 1 due (Ch 2, 3)

10/8 Valence, Agreement Ch 4

10/10 Semantics Ch 5

10/11 HW 2 due (Ch 4,5)

10/15 How the Grammar Works Ch 6

10/17 Catch up, review

10/18 HW 3 due (Ch 6)

10/22 Binding Theory
Imperatives Ch 7

10/24 Lexical Types Ch 8:8.1-8.4

10/25 HW 4 due (Ch 6,7,8)

10/29 Lexical Rules Ch 8:8.5-8.8

10/31 Grammar and Processing Ch 9

11/1 HW 5 due (Ch 8);
Midterm posted

11/5 Passive Ch 10

11/7 Existentials, Extraposition, Idioms Ch 11

11/8 Midterm due (Ch 1-10)

11/12 Raising, Control Ch 12

11/14 Auxiliary verbs Ch 13:13.1-13.4

11/15 HW 6 due (Ch 11,12)

11/19 Auxiliary verbs: NICE properties Ch 13:13.5-13.8

11/21 Long-distance dependencies Ch 14

11/22 HW 7 due (Ch 12,13)

11/26 Catch up, review
Course evals

11/28 No class: Thanksgiving Holiday

12/3 Syntax and sociolinguistic variation Ch 15

12/5 Construction-based grammar
Ch 16

12/6 HW 8 due (Ch 14);
Final exam posted

12/13 5:00pm Final exam due
No late finals accepted.

Date	Topic	Reading	Due
9/26	Introduction/organization First attempts at a theory of grammar	Ch 1
9/27			HW 0 due
10/1	CFG Why NL aren't CF	Ch 2
10/3	Feature structures Headed Rules, Trees	Ch 3
10/4			HW 1 due (Ch 2, 3)
10/8	Valence, Agreement	Ch 4
10/10	Semantics	Ch 5
10/11			HW 2 due (Ch 4,5)
10/15	How the Grammar Works	Ch 6
10/17	Catch up, review
10/18			HW 3 due (Ch 6)
10/22	Binding Theory Imperatives	Ch 7
10/24	Lexical Types	Ch 8:8.1-8.4
10/25			HW 4 due (Ch 6,7,8)
10/29	Lexical Rules	Ch 8:8.5-8.8
10/31	Grammar and Processing	Ch 9
11/1			HW 5 due (Ch 8); Midterm posted
11/5	Passive	Ch 10
11/7	Existentials, Extraposition, Idioms	Ch 11
11/8			Midterm due (Ch 1-10)
11/12	Raising, Control	Ch 12
11/14	Auxiliary verbs	Ch 13:13.1-13.4
11/15			HW 6 due (Ch 11,12)
11/19	Auxiliary verbs: NICE properties	Ch 13:13.5-13.8
11/21	Long-distance dependencies	Ch 14
11/22			HW 7 due (Ch 12,13)
11/26	Catch up, review Course evals
11/28	No class: Thanksgiving Holiday
12/3	Syntax and sociolinguistic variation	Ch 15
12/5	Construction-based grammar	Ch 16
12/6			HW 8 due (Ch 14); Final exam posted
12/13 5:00pm			Final exam due No late finals accepted.

Last modified: 9/18/13

Linguistics 566: Introduction to Syntax for Computational Linguistics