Principles and Parameters is a new textbook intended for the advanced undergraduate or postgraduate student of linguistics. In this readable and authoritative survey of the theory, incorporating much of Government and Binding (GB) theory, Peter Culicover summarizes the major proposals and results of case theory, Theta theory, X'-theory, Binding theory, the theory of A- and A'- movement, locality conditions, and the theory of Logical Form (LF). He provides an up-to-date introduction to a number of more recent proposals, including Chomsky's Minimalist Program, Larsonian shells, and Kayne's Antisymmetry theory.

A major concern and organizing principle of the book is to give the student an understanding of how specific methodological assumptions underlie the core analyses that have played a central role in the development of the theory. Each chapter is followed by an extensive set of exercises which lead the student from the point of applying the mechanics of the theory to developing and organizing new data, providing analyses, and exploring alternative hypotheses. There are also graded and annotated guides to further reading for each chapter, and, as a general aid to the student, a comprehensive glossary of terms.