This course traces features of change and continuity in the core grammar of English from the eighteenth century to the present, with data drawn primarily from synchronic and diachronic computer corpora of English. The course focuses on complementation, but there are no formal prerequisites for attending. The option will offer suggestions on how to use computer corpora to write a pro gradu thesis on complementation.
Course-work includes class participation, homework assignments, a brief paper to be presented in class on complementation or another approved aspect of English grammar, and a final exam.