Tips on How to Write a Squib

A squib is a short sharp paper, representing a limited but useful
investigation of something interesting.  You can think of it as a homework
assignment that you assign yourself.

To make a squib, you need just three things:

	1.  At least one fact.

	2.  A theoretical or analytic issue that the fact bears on.

	3.  A hypothesis (or two).

Without a fact, you are nowhere.  A fact that is of no theoretical interest
is also nowhere.  But if you have a fact that is of theoretical interest,
and just one hypothesis about it, you are in the game.  It doesn't matter
whether the fact supports the hypothesis or disconfirms it, as long as the
fact shows something about the hypothesis.  Here's a little example:

	1.  FACT:  In finite clauses Neg is below T:

		The goons will not scare me.

		But in infinitival clauses Neg seems to be above T:

		I try not to be scared by the goons.

	2.  Theoretical issue:

		Are the phrase structure positions of Neg and T switched
		in non-finite vs. finite clauses?

	3.  Hypothesis:

		No, 'to' is not really a T.
		Then what is it? And what accounts for the absence of modals?

		You see how this could lead somewhere.

	4.  Another hypothesis:

		In nonfinite clauses Neg is really adjoined to TP.  This
		conforms to other cases of constituent negation, where
		we can't justify Neg being the head of its own phrase:
		
		Not a minute went by before she started to cry.
		A not very happy cat emerged from the shower.

		This leads somewhere else.

The crucial thing is that you have a hypothesis, not that you have an
answer.

Study the sample squibs provided on the course web page, and also feel free
to consult with me or a TA about possible topics.

There is a guaranteed way to find facts that your current grammar does not
account for: take any book (or newspaper or magazine, or your Kindle ...);
open it to any page; close your eyes and put your finger down on the page.
Then open your eyes and study the sentence that your finger landed on.
Chances are good that it will contain something that your grammar as currently
developed does not account for.  If it doesn't, do the process again.  It
will not take more than three tries.