Scribd
Upload
164 views

Tree Diagram

This document discusses the tree diagram representation of syntactic structure in language. It explains that tree diagrams show deep and surface structure, and can represent grammatical sentences, phrase structure rules, and lexical categories. Tree diagrams also illustrate structural ambiguity and how transformational rules can change word order in sentences while maintaining the same meaning.

Uploaded by

Raita Juliah
Copyright
© © All Rights Reserved
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
Available Formats
Download as PPTX, PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd
164 views

Tree Diagram

This document discusses the tree diagram representation of syntactic structure in language. It explains that tree diagrams show deep and surface structure, and can represent grammatical sentences, phrase structure rules, and lexical categories. Tree diagrams also illustrate structural ambiguity and how transformational rules can change word order in sentences while maintaining the same meaning.

Uploaded by

Raita Juliah
Copyright
© © All Rights Reserved
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
Available Formats
Download as PPTX, PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd
You are on page 1/ 21

Tree Diagram

Syntactic Structure
• all the grammatical sentences and only the
grammatical sentences will be produced.
Deep and surface structure
• Charlie broke the window.
• The window was broken by Charlie

surface structure the different syntactic forms


they have as individual English sentences.
deep structure is an abstract level of structural
organization in which all the elements determining
structural interpretation are represented.
Structural ambiguity
• Annie whacked a man with an umbrella.

The sentence above has two meanings


• ‘Annie had an umbrella and she whacked a
man with it.’
• ‘Annie whacked a man and the man happened
to be carrying an umbrella.’
Symbols used in syntactic description
Symbols used in syntactic description

• NP→Art N
• NP→Art (Adj) N
Phrase structure rules
• S →NP VP
• NP →{Art (Adj) N, Pro, PN}
• VP →V NP (PP) (Adv)
• PP →Prep NP
Lexical rules
• PN →{Mary, George}
• V →{followed, helped, saw}
• N →{girl, dog, boy}
• Adj →{small, crazy}
• Art→{a, an, the}
• Prep→{near, with}
• Pro→{it, you}
• Adv →{recently, yesterday}
Tree diagrams
Tree diagrams
• The girl saw a dog.
Transformational rules
• Mary saw George recently.
• Recently Mary saw George.
Transformational rules
• You will help Cathy.
• Will you help Cathy?
• Annie whacked a man with an umbrella
s

NP VP
PN V NP PP
art N P NP
Annie Whacked a man with
Coordinate structure
Complementizer

You might also like