Beginning Syntax Linda Thomas Areej Al-Awad

Topics Discussed Beginning Syntax Tools for Analysis Introduction Word Categories Tree Diagrams Phrases and Phrase Structure Form and Function 2. More on Categories Adverbs and Adverb Phrases Prepositions and Prepositional Phrases Adjective and Adjective Phrases Areej Al-Awad

Topics Discussed Beginning Syntax The Verb Phrase Transitive Verb Intransitive Verb Ditransitive Verb Intensive Verb Complex-transitive Verb Prepositional Verb Imperative 4. The Verb Group Tense Modal Auxiliaries Primary Auxiliaries Areej Al-Awad

Topics Discussed Beginning Syntax 5. The Noun Phrase Pronouns Pre- and Post-modification Pre-modification Post-modification 6. Subordination and Coordination Subordination Coordination Areej Al-Awad

Abbreviations A adjective A adverbial Adv adverb AdvP adverb phrase AP adjective phrase AUX auxiliary Complex complex-transitive verb Coord coordinator Deg degree adverb Ditrans ditransitive verb etc. Check page ix Areej Al-Awad

1. Tools for Analysis Introduction Syntax: sentence structure, looking at the way words combine together in a language to form sentences. written form .. and why constituent: a word or a unit of words in a sentence. S : sentence : consists of formula (3) S word + word + word + word + … sentence (1) It is a nice day. Using formula (3), sentence (1) should end up with the following analysis: (sentence (1)) (consists of) (It + is + a + nice + word) make up your own sentences and use formula (3) to analyze it. Areej Al-Awad

1. Tools for Analysis Introduction Are your sentences the same? Analysis (3) does not capture the difference between your sentences. Why do you think formula (3) is important? 1. serves to describe an already existent sentence. 2. tells us this is the way in which we can make countless other sentences in English. Check this sentence: (10) * Girl apple likes this that ill-formed sentence: a sentence that is not syntactically well formed and is known as UNGRAMMATICAL. It is also preceded by an asterisk. Clearly there are rules governing the way in which words can be put together to form syntactically well-formed or GRAMMATICAL sentences. Areej Al-Awad

1. Tools for Analysis Word Categories Check the following sentences: (15a) The girl likes the apple. (15b) The apple likes the girl. (15c) The dog likes the apple. (15d) The apples like the dog. Semantics. Areej Al-Awad

1. Tools for Analysis Word Categories Nouns: the name of something ( place, person, time, etc. ) Using the term noun and the shorthand outlined at (3) before, we can describe all the sentences at (11), (12), and (15) as follows: (16) S the + NOUN + likes + the + NOUN girl girl dog dog apple apple Determiners: determiner are a small group of words and they act to limit or determine to some extent the possible range of things which the noun can refer to. ( this, that, the, etc) Areej Al-Awad

1. Tools for Analysis Word Categories Verbs: a word which describes an action. Using the term noun, determiner, verb and the shorthand outlined at (3) before, make up your own sentence that fits the below formula: p. 9 (28) DETERMINER + NOUN + VERB + DETERMINER + NOUN Areej Al-Awad

Tree Diagrams – Phrases and Phrase Structure 1. Tools for Analysis Tree Diagrams – Phrases and Phrase Structure (29) A dog chased that girl. S PHRASE B PHRASE A VERB DETERMINER NOUN DETERMINER NOUN A dog chased that girl Areej Al-Awad

1. Tools for Analysis Form and Function form: noun phrase: is what the constituent is function: subject: is what it acts or does. Subject vs. Predicate Subject: the constituent that precedes the verb. Predicate: what follows the subject. The girl chased the dog. Locate the subject and predicate. Make up your own sentences and identify the subject and predicate. Areej Al-Awad

1. Tools for Analysis Form and Function S NP VP DET N VERB A girl dog that chased Areej Al-Awad

1. Tools for Analysis Form and Function Draw a tree diagram for the sentence you made up earlier. Areej Al-Awad

1. Tools for Analysis Form and Function How can you be sure that the VP is one constituent? does / did too e.g. The girl likes the dog. The boy does too. DIRECT OBJECT (dO) : Make up your own sentences with a dO and identify the subject, predicate and direct object. Areej Al-Awad

1. Tools for Analysis More on Trees NODE HIERARCHY NODE Some constituents are optional. Give out class examples of a NP. 1. NP (DET) + N 2. NP PRO (DET) + N PRO Areej Al-Awad

End of Chapter Have a nice day. Areej Al-Awad