1. Beginning Syntax Linda Thomas
Areej Al-Awad

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

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

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

5. 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

6. 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

7. 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

8. 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

9. 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

10. 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

11. 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

12. 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

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

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

15. 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

16. 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

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