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Syntax

This document introduces phrase structure rules and transformational grammar. It provides a simple set of phrase structure rules to generate sentences like "A cat saluted a horse" and represents sentences using phrase structure trees. It then discusses transformational rules that apply to constituents to transform deep structure into surface structure, giving examples like passive voice and question transformations. It also introduces the derivational theory of complexity and its limitations. Finally, it notes revised approaches to transformational grammar like parameter setting and lexical-functional grammars.

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eshimie
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115 views

Syntax

This document introduces phrase structure rules and transformational grammar. It provides a simple set of phrase structure rules to generate sentences like "A cat saluted a horse" and represents sentences using phrase structure trees. It then discusses transformational rules that apply to constituents to transform deep structure into surface structure, giving examples like passive voice and question transformations. It also introduces the derivational theory of complexity and its limitations. Finally, it notes revised approaches to transformational grammar like parameter setting and lexical-functional grammars.

Uploaded by

eshimie
Copyright
© Attribution Non-Commercial (BY-NC)
Available Formats
Download as PPTX, PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd
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Phrase Structure Rules

• Must allow all and only the grammatical


sentences in a language
• Descriptive rules, not necessarily
prescriptive
• Each rule “rewrites” a constituent into one
or more constituents
A Simple Set of Phrase Structure Rules
S NP +VP
NP art + (adj*) + N
VP V + NP + (PP*)
PP Prep + NP
N sailor, cat, horse, bridge,
V saluted, kissed, fried
adj drunken, puzzled, gregarious
art a, the
prep on, under
From this simple set of rules we can generate
many, many sentences, including:
A cat saluted a horse.
A cat saluted a horse on the bridge.
A gregarious horse fried the cat.
The drunken sailor saluted the puzzled cat.
The puzzled, gregarious sailor on a horse saluted
the drunken cat on the bridge.
Phrase Structure Tree:
Derivation of a Sentence
S

NP VP

art adj N V NP

The drunken sailor saluted art adj N

the puzzled cat


Sentences with ambiguous meanings
have different phrase structure trees
S

NP VP
adj N aux V adj

Visiting relatives can be boring


S
NP VP
Ger N aux V adj

Visiting relatives can be boring


Transformational Rules
• Rules that transform deep structure into
surface structure
• Apply to constituents not to individual
words
• Involve movement, insertion, and deletion
of constituents
• Conditions of occurrence: Transformations
will not apply under all conditions
Some Transformations
• Particle-movement
– “John called up the woman.”
– “John called the woman up.”
• T1” V + part + NP  V + NP + part
– John called up the interesting woman up.
– John called the interesting woman up.
– John called up the woman with the curly hair.
– John called the woman with the curly hair up.
– *John called the woman up with the curly hair.
Other Transformations
• Passive:
– Arlene played the tuba.
– The Tuba was played by Arlene.
– T2 NP1 + V + NP2  NP2 + be +V + –en by
+ NP1
• Wh- Question: Why is Arlene playing the tuba?
• Negation: Arlene is not playing the tuba?
• Compound: Arlene is playing the tuba and the drums.
Derivational Theory of
Complexity
• If transformational grammar is how language is
actually done, then
– Untransformed sentences > transformed sentences
– Simpler transformations > complex transformations
– Should see this both in acquisition and in adult
processing of sentences
– But there are many exceptions to this prediction
– Compound Sentences
• “The zoo has llamas and gnus” is derived from “The zoo has
llamas and the zoo has gnus.”
Whence Transformational
Grammar?
• Revolutionary approach to the study of language,
though the specifics have not stood up well.
Revised approaches include
• Parameter Setting (Chomsky, 1981, 1986, 1995)
– All possible linguistic variations are hard-wired, the
parameters that are set depend on exposure to language.
• Lexical-Functional Grammars (Bresnan, 1982,
Pinker, 1984, 1990)
– Grammar is actually in the lexicon, e.g. an entry for a
verb entails its argument structure and restrictions as
well as meaning.

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