In the literature of generative grammar, the syntax of de-constructions has been one of the most heated topics for discussion. Following the principle of Universal Grammar, this book attempts to give a uniform account for the derivation of de-constructions within the framework of Derivation by Phase(Chomsky 1999). The goals of this book can be defined as follows: 1) to study the probe-goal matching theory within the latest minimalist framework; 2) to make a minimalist analysis of the derivations of de-constructions; 3) to probe into the (in)definiteness of de-constructions; 4) to identify evidence for strong phases and investigate the extensional definition of a phase into DP. The book has five chapters. Chapter One gives a brief review of the framework. Chapter Two addresses different approaches on the categorical status of de. Chapter Three deals with the derivation of two kinds of de-constructions under DbP framework. Chapter Four is involved with the definiteness of DePs. The last part is the conclusion. This book is thorough and clear in the content and structure. It sheds theoretical contributions and provides some suggestions for people who are interested in linguistics.

Dan Ye was born in Zhe Jiang province in 1982. She obtained her Master¿s Degree from the South China University of Technology in 2006 and now employed as a teacher at Zhejiang Agriculture and Forestry University.Her interests include syntax, psycholinguistics, and second language learning. She published several research articles in these fields.