Table of contents

The course is connected to the following study programs

Teaching language

English

Learning outcomes

On successful completion of this course, students will have

  • a thorough understanding of the categories of English
  • insight into cross-linguistic variation in categorization
  • a solid grasp of theoretical approaches to linguistic categorization, as well as the empirical and theoretical challenges they face
  • knowledge of categorization in other domains of linguistics

On successful completion of this course, students will be able to

  • identify, describe, and explain properties of English categories as evidenced in linguistic data
  • identify, describe, and explain instances of category fuzziness in linguistic data
  • critically evaluate theories of categories and categorization, as well as their application to English and other languages
  • develop linguistic argumentation for theoretical or empirical issues relating to categories or categorization

Contents

What makes a noun a noun and a verb a verb? While seemingly simple, this question is rife with complexity: from category fuzziness (is hiccupping a noun or a verb in the sentence Her hiccupping was distracting?) to the universality of categories (do all languages have nouns, verbs, and adjectives?) and their acquisition, there are important empirical and theoretical questions that arise. In this course, students take a hard look at categorization in natural language, as well as how categorization interacts with other domains (e.g. morphology, acquisition, cognition, etc.). The course will address issues like the inventory of natural language categories in English and beyond, theoretical approaches to categories and categorization, and the empirical problem of fuzziness or gradience for categorization. The primary focus of the course will be categories and categorization syntactically, but links will also be made to these themes in other domains of linguistics, e.g. categorization in morphology, categorization in second language acquisition, categories and cognition, etc.

Teaching and learning methods

Lectures and seminars. Active and regular participation is expected. The estimated workload is approximately 270 hours.

Examination requirements

Students must attend 70% of the seminars and an obligatory midterm paper (2000-3000 words) and an oral presentation must be approved.

Examinations

The exam consists of two parts: A revised version of the midterm paper (see "Examination requirements") and a 4-hour exam under supervision. The paper will make up 40% for the final grade, and the exam will make up 60 %. Both parts must receive passing grades to pass the course. Graded assessment.

Student evaluation

The study programme manager, in consultation with the student representative, decides the method of evaluation and whether the courses will have a midterm- or end of term evaluation, see also the Quality System, section 4.1.

Offered as a free-standing course

Yes, if there are places available.

Admission Requirement if given as a free-standing course

Identical to the admissions requirements for the programme.
Last updated from FS (Felles studentsystem) Oct. 15, 2026 2:51:32 PM