Scribd
Upload
42 views

Syntax 1 March 21

The document discusses syntax and how it describes the structure of sentences. Syntax involves analyzing sentences into phrases and constituent structure. Various tests are described to identify phrases, including substitution, pronoun replacement, question formation, cleft sentences, and movement. Phrase types include noun phrases, verb phrases, and prepositional phrases.

Uploaded by

cowox50150
Copyright
© © All Rights Reserved
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
Available Formats
Download as PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd
42 views

Syntax 1 March 21

The document discusses syntax and how it describes the structure of sentences. Syntax involves analyzing sentences into phrases and constituent structure. Various tests are described to identify phrases, including substitution, pronoun replacement, question formation, cleft sentences, and movement. Phrase types include noun phrases, verb phrases, and prepositional phrases.

Uploaded by

cowox50150
Copyright
© © All Rights Reserved
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
Available Formats
Download as PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd
You are on page 1/ 35

Syntax

Introduction: Phrase structure, constituency, lexical categories

Ling 111 Structure of Language March 21, 2024


Syntax

• Syntax
• component of the grammar that is responsible for the generation
(production) of grammatical sentences:

• the organization of words into phrases


• the organization of phrases into sentences
• In speech, we observe a linear organization of words in sentences;

• i.e words occur one after another in time.

• Given this, a rst, basic way to try to describe sentences would be to state an
ordering of the parts of speech.
fi
Syntax: Describing sentences

• Let’s consider an example.

• I watched the movie about snakes on a plane in August.

• Sentence =

Noun + Verb + Det + Noun + Prep + Noun + Prep + Det + N + P+N

I watched the movie about snakes on a plane in Aug


• This is not su cient to capture speakers’ knowledge of sentences nor to
capture syntactic generalizations in the optimal way.

• There is a “hidden” level of hierarchical structure between words and


sentences.

• phrases - structural units composed of one or more words that are


combined to form sentences
ffi
Syntactic structure

SENTENCES

PHRASES

WORDS
• Evidence for phrases
• Substitution
• Proform replacement
• Syntactic Operations that target phrases
• Movement
• Questions
• Ambiguity
• Substitution
John runs.

The tall guy in the neon tank top runs.


• Note that we can’t replace this group of words with any ohter parts of speech
(more on this later!)

• John runs
• *Swim runs
• *Fast runs.
• *Down runs.
• Some types of phrases
• Noun Phrases (NPs)
• Verb Phrases (VPs)
• Prepositional Phrases (PPs)
constituency test

• a way of testing whether a group of words forms a phrase


Proform tests
• Pronoun test
• Constituent test for NPs
• Replace a group of words with a pronoun, (e.g. he, she, him, her, it, they, or
them).

• If any of these replacements results in a grammatical sentence with the same


meaning as the original sentence, the group of words is a noun phrase.

• If none of the replacements has this result, the words are not a noun phrase.
•
• Pronoun test: Examples of applying the test

• I watched the movie about snakes on a plane last week.


• I watched it last week.

• Most people like the guy who stars in the movie about snakes.
• Most people like him.
• Does the following pass the Pronoun test?

• Bob threw away his homework.


• Bob threw it.
•
• Does the following pass the Pronoun test?
• Bob threw away his homework.
• Bob threw it.

• The new sentence is grammatical.


• But it does not have the same meaning as the original sentence.
• Do-form test
• Constituent test for VPs
• Replace a group of words with a form of do so.
• If the replacement results in a grammatical sentence with the same
meaning as the original sentence, the group of words is a verb phrase.

• If the replacement does not have this result, the words do not constitute a
verb phrase.
•
• Do-form test: Examples of applying the test
• I’m going to organize my o ce tomorrow.
• (I really don’t want to organize my o ce tomorrow, but) I’m going to do so.

• I watched the movie about the famous composer this year.


• (I wanted to watch the movie about the famous composer last year, but) I
did so this year.

ffi
ffi
• Do-form test: Examples of applying the test

• I watched the movie about the famous composer this year.

• *I did so about the famous composer this year.


• There/then test
• Constituent test for PPs
• Replace a group of words with there or then.
• If the replacement results in a grammatical sentence with the same meaning
as the original sentence, the group of words is a prepositional phrase.

• If the replacement does not have this result, the words are not a prepositional
phrase.
•
• There/then test: Examples of applying the test
• I watched the movie about the famous composer in February.
• I watched the movie about the famous composer then.

• I watched the movie at my friend’s house.


• I watched the movie then.
• There/then test: Examples of applying the test
• I wanted to watch the movie about the famous composer in my own
living room.

• *I wanted there/then.
Syntactic operations
• Movement test
• Constituent test for NPs and PPs

• Move a group of words together to the front of a sentence


• If it results in a new grammatical sentence, then that group of words is a
constituent.
• Movement test: Examples of applying the test
I watched the movie about snakes on a plane last week.
The movie about snakes on a plane I watched last week.

Students face many new challenges in college.


In college students face many new challenges.

I always enjoy going for long walks in the countryside.


Going for long walks in the countryside I always enjoy.
•
• Cleft-formation test
• Constituent test for VPs, NPs, and PPs

• If a group of words can occur in the position following It is/was in a


sentence of the form It is/was VP/NP/PP that/where/who..., then that
group of words is a constituent.
• VP Cleft

• I watched the movie about snakes.

• Watched the movie about snakes is what I did.


• NP Cleft

• I watched the movie about snakes on a plane.

• The movie about snakes on a plane is what I watched.

• PP Cleft

• I watched the movie about snakes on a plane in the theatre.


• In the theatre is where I watched the movie about snakes on a plane.
• Question formation targets constituents.
• John ran.
• The tall boy in the neon tanktop ran.
• Who ran?

• I watched the movie about the famous composer at my friend’s house.


• Where did you watch the movie about the famous composer?
• Question formation
• I watched the movie about snakes on a plane in August.
• What did you do?
• What did you do in August?
• Syntactic ambiguity
• linearly identical strings have the same meaning
• can be disambiguated through hierarchical structure
→another type of evidence for phrase structure
• Apply the substitution test to determine which of the bracketed
sequences in the following sentences form constituents.

• [The news] upset the entire family.

• They hid [in the cave].


• The [computer was very] expensive.

• [The houses] will be rebuilt.

• Jane will [leave town].

• The goslings [swam across] the lake.


• Apply the movement test to determine which of the bracketed sequences in the following sentences form constituents.

• We ate our lunch [near the river bank].

• Vijay looked [up the number] in the book.

• The [island has been] ooded.

• I love [peanut butter and bacon sandwiches].

• The environmental [movement is gaining momentum].


fl

You might also like