Comparing the Binding Theory in the English and Mongolian languages

Abstract

Abstract

The research explores what the Binding Theory is in terms of the English language and the Mongolian language. After introducing what three different kinds of NP-R-expression, anaphor and pronoun are, the relationships of these three types of NP inside a sentence are to be discussed. One key concept of the structural relations-C-command has been analysed. Another key concept, co-indexed, has been introduced and discussed in different sentence structures with the three NP types in different kinds of sentence structures. The co-indexed concept decides whether C-command relations occurs or not in a sentence. The C-command concept plays an important role in the Binding Theory A, B, and C. The three Principles A, B, and C in Binding Theory are employed to investigate the Three types of NP in both English and Mongolian languages. The research also explores whether both English and Mongolian languages are subject to the Binding Principle in Principles A, B, and C. The result is that in both English and Mongolian languages, the Principle A, B, and C Binding Theory can hold.

Terminologies: anaphors, antecedents, R-expression, co-indexed; coindexation, c-command, binding, binding domain, Principle A, B, and C.