Introduction

Syntactic linkage has to do with the devices (mainly morphological) by which speakers can signal which words, phrases or clauses are linked. It is a general concept which subsumes the traditional concepts of agreement and government. As we will see, the traditional distinction does not sit easily with the analysis of phrases into heads and modifiers, with heads controlling the modifiers. Some parts of the traditional concepts are compatible with the view that verbs are the heads of clauses; but others are not, particularly the relationship between subject noun and verb.

This topic contains data from languages other than English. It deals essentially with syntax for students in English (Language) courses, and most of the examples are from English. The problem is that English clauses have minimal syntactic linkage compared with, say, Latin or Russian (not to mention the marvelously intricate systems of linkage to be found in Bantu languages, in many Native American languages and in Australian languages). Agreement and government may not be prominent in Modern English, but they are central concepts of syntax and are prominent in the syntax of many languages, including Early English. For these reasons, syntactic linkage must be included, but examples are taken from other languages as well as from English.