You guys are such crybabies omfg Ethan is not a bad professor. Yes the tests are not the same as the worksheets / practice exams but the opportunity to get points back on them is literally handed to you on a silver platter. God forbid you people actually have to put effort into understanding the material you are taught in class. Oh wait! 50% of you didn't even go! You are not serious people and I beg you all to please grow some sort of academic backbone next time you take a class that is known for being difficult

I really didn't hate this class. I know there are lots of negative reviews and I completely see where they come from. Ethan's lecturing can be very bland and uninteresting, but it is necessary to power through it to understand the lecture material. Sitting there for the full two hours might feel like a chore, but I promise you it pays off. Section is much better though. The TAs are very, very helpful and much more personable than Ethan, plus the environment is much more personal and engaging. You get points back on the tests just for going to section. Studying a bit before the test is a good idea, but much more important is bringing the cheat sheet you're allowed. Key terms, definitions, and a few well-placed example trees is all you need if you've paid attention and understand the basic concepts; if you don't, office hours is a great place to start. People will complain about the grade distributions but they actually weren't that bad, all things considered. A huge proportion of people had A's on both the midterm and the final. The weekly homeworks were also basically free points, since they're graded on completion. I just did them after section and they don't take that much time or effort; again, if you make mistakes, you not only won't be docked points, but your TA will leave notes telling you what went wrong. Keep in mind these are the only things in the class other than the midterm and final. The workload is super light. Moreover, the hardest questions on the midterm and final (i.e. the ones people are most likely to screw up) are worth the least points. Overall, I'd say the class isn't exciting, but it's definitely doable.

This class is definitely hard. I am a pre-med cog sci major who took this as an upper div. I thought that this wouldn't be too bad, but it ended up being just as hard as my chem and physics classes. The concepts are already confusing to begin, but the professor overcomplicates it (in my opinion). If you think this is gonna be a breeze like ling 20, please think again. If you really love syntax and this is going to be one of your challenging classes, then sure. But if you are considering taking this alongside other challenging courses, I would def not.

Genuinely, this class actually has the craziest reviews because so many people are die hard Ethan Poole supporters but I have never seen more people get Cs and Ds for an elective ever. Ethan seems more inspired and engaged with his research and passion for syntax than making it digestable and paced in a manner that would facilitate class-wide success. He makes his exams irreparably difficult and nothing even CLOSE to the midterm and final prep worksheets we were given or the homework we received as well. Ive never written a Bruinwalk review until it came to him. Don't get me wrong, he is not a bad professor at all but he is very bland and monotone for a already very complicated subject which would be easier to digest and understand if the professor was more energetic and enticing in my opinion. Attending lecture is your #1 step to try to get a better grade in this class but hands down as a 4th year it was the hardest most mentally taxing final exam I have ever taken EVER.

If you are willing to sit through a 2 hour lecture and pay attention, this class will be incredibly fruitful. No shade, but majority of our class either did not come to lecture or left halfway through; this got to the point where attendance became extra credit in the second half of the class.
Dr. Poole is a very interesting professor: I have never had a class that has mentioned Bjork or the Golden Girls so much, but he found a way. He flows through the material in a very thorough way, providing examples for why we have the structure we do. He does not have slides, but he provides physical packets that contain the lecture material on them. There is plenty of space to take notes so you can follow along with him, since he does exercises on the board that differ from the packet.
Syntax can be boring, but that does not mean it is necessarily easy. If you attend the lectures and discussion (the latter of which is extra credit), digest the material, and do the homework (which are completion based), you can do good!

I'm seeing a ton of negative reviews from Fall 2025 so I wanna come in with more of a positive take on Professor Poole. Keep in mind I really liked this professor so I'm a little biased, but I'll try to keep this review as impartial as possible!

Pros:
Professor Poole is one of the smartest professors that I have had. He is extremely eloquent and if you listen closely while he is lecturing you will learn A LOT.

He's also incredibly kind and helpful. He is always incredibly sweet if you go to ask him questions after class, and he's also sneakily one of the funniest professors that I've had here at UCLA. I found myself laughing in his class more than any other class, although that might've just been a unique experience.

The class and lecture material is all very well organized. He gives you a handout every lecture with basically everything that you need to know, so you can easily go back and review these for the exams.

Cons:
This class can be very boring. On one hand I like seeing Dr. Poole lecture because he kind of gets into a flow state where he explains everything super well, and his class is clearly structured in a very lecturey format because it works well for him. However, because of this, and because the class content is essentially grammar and drawing tons of trees, it can definitely get boring at times because it's not very engaging.

Honestly I kind of take this to be a pro, but the exams are hard in that they are very conceptual. I think why a couple people are complaining here from last quarter is because some exam questions were free-response and forced you to really think critically about the material. I personally loved this and feel like the whole point of college is to get you to think critically instead of just systematically memorizing how to do problems. That being said, you can certainly prepare for these problems by conceptually learning the material and reviewing the homework and discussion worksheets. Many conceptual exam questions were closely mirrored on the discussion worksheets and homework so good back and review those!

Overall, a little bit of a boring class at times, but I also feel like I learned a lot. Dr. Poole can get a little bit strict at times, but he's really kind if you come into this course engaged and curious. Hot take is that people are just complaining because they're used to memorization heavy classes, whereas in this class you actually have to understand the theory behind the syntax to succeed.

Horrible horrible horrible professor. NEVER TAKE HIM. His tests were completely different from homework and any worksheets. Literally the worst ever and let multiple people get c's for an elective lol. He is literally evil.

This class was a joke in the worst way. Ethan doesn't use slides, isn't engaging at all, so hard to follow. I got 100% on the assignments and midterm and still ended with a B. I think the TAs have taught me more than anything this professor taught. Don't take with Ethan

im RAGGGINNGGG like mind you i have never ever gotten anything below an a in any class so wtf is actually up with this class???? i felt like i was fine at syntax going into the course and i studied a bunch for the exams--did all the practice questions and redid homework questions multiple times AND THE TESTS? were actually absurd. in the beginning of the quarter, this professor seemed pretty nice, but by the end, i couldn't help but see pure evil in his eyes. he is genuinely praying on everyone's downfall he doesn't even care to spend too much time on anyone's question. i think he cares more about using unnecessarily big words to sound smart and make the material intentionally confusing than about whether students actually understand anything. i don't know how some people got As in this class all i know is that they have to be absolutely cracked... so DON'T take this class i regret i regret i regret i regret

Honestly, I’m so thankful to have taken Ethan for Syntax I. To be completely honest, both the content of Syntax and Ethan himself can feel a little intimidating at first. When I was first learning the material or wanted to ask a question, I was nervous, since Ethan clearly knows the subject extremely well. But I strongly encourage you to push past that hesitation. After I hit a roadblock in the class, Ethan personally reached out to me after noticing a low exam grade, which led to a great conversation during office hours and a turning point in my experience with the course.
He provides helpful handouts that explain the material covered in the lecture, and I highly recommend following along with them as he teaches. The content can feel very overwhelming in the beginning, but paying close attention during class will help a lot.
One of the most overlooked resources in the course is his worksheets. These are introduced in discussion sections, but there usually isn’t enough time to finish them during the session. I highly recommend doing them on your own each week before the homework, and especially before exams. These worksheets are excellent for practice, and while Ethan does provide an exam study guide, the worksheets often cover the extra material some students tend to miss. They really help tie things together and are especially useful when you’re trying to get comfortable with the trees.
Syntax is a course that builds on itself week by week. It’s important to stay on top of the material, which is why I keep emphasizing how useful the worksheets are. When Ethan says to reach out if you need help, he really means it. He is responsive, patient, and genuinely wants students to succeed. I asked plenty of questions I felt like I should already know, and he always helped clarify without making me feel bad. He listens, and he’s supportive.
If you stay caught up, practice consistently, and take the time to understand how everything connects, you will do well. Homework is manageable if you keep up with the lectures and discussions. Going to sections can also give you small grade boosts, especially if you make the effort to gain points back. I also recommend coming in with specific questions. Syntax can be confusing, but when you know what you’re stuck on, both Ethan and the TAs give really helpful feedback.
Exams are open note, so I suggest bringing your completed homework, the handouts, and your own versions of the worksheets (not just the answer keys). The syntax tree questions may look intimidating at first, but they are always based on patterns and structures you have already seen. Once you get the trees down, the harder part becomes the theory and analysis questions. If anything is unclear, ask about it beforehand. I wish I had done that more.
Last tip, try not to turn in homework late or after class. Ethan seems to value punctuality, especially when it comes to discussion attendance and assignment deadlines, so be considerate with that.