The primary focus of my research is grammatical theory, with particular emphasis on questions that arise where syntax comes into contact with theories of morphology and the syntax-semantics interface. I am especially interested in such questions in the domains of argument structure, the structure of the extended verb phrase, A-movement, and category.
Areas of focus include:
verbal argument introduction, interpretation, and licensing
the relationship between morphosyntax and semantics in complex verbal structures, including passives of various kinds, ditransitives, causatives, resultatives, unaccusatives, and participles
the morphosyntax, semantics, and argument structure of adjectives
the morphosyntax of tense and aspect
A major strand of my research focuses on lesser-studied varieties of Chinese, including Southern Min varieties and other Sinitic languages spoken in mainland China and Southeast Asia. I analyze their structural properties and examine how they bear on broader theoretical questions, particularly concerning argument structure, category, and the syntax-semantics interface, as well as patterns of morphosyntactic variation across closely related systems.
Recent and ongoing work addresses topics such as adjective classifiers, the syntax and semantics of gradability, modality and argument interpretation, expletives in radical pro-drop languages, and the argument structure of adjectives.
My research also engages with formal questions in linguistic variation, including cross-linguistic comparative syntax, dialect morphosyntax, and with respect to data and questions more typically associated with sociolinguistic investigation. The main goal of this work is to examine what patterns of morphosyntactic variability and change reveal about the architecture that generates them.
Some topics I have worked on include:
variable preposition deletion in ditransitives and its interaction with passivization in varieties of Northwest British English
variable deletion of phonologically heavy prepositions marking external arguments in varieties of Indonesian
the syntax and semantics of done my homework in varieties of English, and methods for morphosyntactic variation data collection
My research has been supported by SSHRC Insight and Insight Development Grants.
2026-2029
The argument structure of adjectives: A cross-linguistic investigation of category. SSHRC Insight Grant (Principal Investigator), $99,072.
2023-2026
The grammar of standards in Southern Min: Implications for the role of syntax in contextual vagueness resolution. SSHRC Insight Development Grant (Principal Investigator), $74,803.