For the second and final syntax class, our final project was to do a presentation and essay on a syntax research paper about a specific language and then compare it to what we've learned in class. The most interesting part of this assignment ended up being the article that I chose. I wanted to write about ASL and the structure of WH-questions because they're different than in English and I wanted to know how. But apparently this is a contested topic. The paper I chose was actually a response from one linguist to an article by another pair of linguists who were arguing against the first linguist's claims. While I chose to do my report on one side of this argument, another girl in the class chose the other side.
Given that both of us are just barely beginning to learn about syntax, there was no way either of us would be able to officially say which of these two opposing claims are correct. But, seeing both of our presentations, both sides were so convincing. They each had compelling evidence supporting their claims and supposedly disproving the other's. Obviously, I believed the one linguist more than the others however it showed to me how complex syntax can be. And how complex a seemingly simple construction such as a WH-question can be.
