In these essays the minimalist approach to linguistic theory is formulated and progressively developed.

The Antisymmetry of Syntax proposes a restrictive theory of word order and phrase structure that denies this assumption.

Cognitive Grammar offers a radical alternative to mainstream linguistic theories. This book introduces the theory in clear, non-technical language, relates it to current debates about the nature of linguistic knowledge, and applies it to in-depth analyses of a range of topics in semantics, syntax, morphology, and phonology. Study questions and suggestions for further reading accompany each of the main chapters.

In this paper, I will try to show that what we think of as the noun-verb distinction can be understood as a consequence of antisymmetry, in the sense of Kayne (1994). (I will also make some remarks (in the first two sections) concerning counterparts of the human language faculty in other species.1) Properties of nouns will, from this perspective, lead me to suggest that sentential complements (and derived nominals) involve relative clause structures.