James Griffiths

James Griffiths is a Junior Professor (Assistant Professor) of English Linguistics at the University of Tübingen, affiliated with the Englisches Seminar in the Faculty of Humanities. He holds a PhD from the University of Groningen (2015). His research adopts a generative approach to linguistic analysis, focusing on syntax, semantics/pragmatics of information structure, morphology (especially Distributed Morphology), and dialectal variation in English. He leads the DFG-funded project 'Cross-linguistic Experiments on Fragmentary Sentences' (CLEFs) since October 2023.

Griffiths teaches courses on phonology, syntax, dialectology, and experimental methods at undergraduate and graduate levels. His research interests include clausal ellipsis, preposition stranding, syntactic islands, and cross-linguistic comparisons between English, Germanic languages, and Turkish. Key contributions address Q-equivalence in ellipsis, reprise fragments, and the syntactic integration of parentheticals.

His work spans over 20 peer-reviewed articles and book chapters, with recent emphases on experimental syntax, fragment analysis, and Turkish syntax. Associated researchers include Dr. Güliz Güneş and PhD students Miriam Schiele and Ali Can Çiçek. His research has been supported by grants including the DFG project and institutional funding at the University of Tübingen.