Transfrmational Grammar转换功能语法.ppt

Introduction to Generative and Transformational Grammar;1.What is Syntax?;2. Sentence Structure;Normally a sentence consists of at least a subject and its predicate which contains a finite verb or a verb phrase. For example,;sentence;Words can be classified into different lexical categories (traditionally called “parts of speech”) according to their meaning, inflection and distribution. Lexical categories can be further divided into two kinds: major lexical categories and minor lexical categories.;Major lexical categories: Noun (N): book, boy, love, sheep Verb (V): run, read, play, buy Adjective (A): happy, tall, clear Preposition (P): about, over, on;Minor lexical categories: Determiner (Det): the, a, this, those Degree word (Deg): quite, very, more Qualifier (Qual): often, always, almost Auxiliary (Aux): must, can, should, Conjunction (Con): and but, or Interjection (Int): oh, ah, eh;3. Phrase Categories;In English syntactic analysis, four phrasal categories are commonly recognized and discussed, namely, Noun phrase (NP): a tall man, the student Verb phrase (VP): walk with a stick Prepositional phrase (PP): in the park Adjective phrase (AP): quite rude;4. Phrase Structure Rules;Two features of these rules: These rules must be small in number so as not to create extra burdens on the human memory. These rules must be powerful enough to yield all the possible sentences, and rule out the impossible ones.;Phrase structure rules refer to the rules that specify the constituency of syntactic categories in the language, and arrange those constituents in a linear formula. For example,;2) the corresponding phrase structure rule NP Det N This rule conveys two facts:;(1) A NP can be a Det followed by a N. (2) A Det followed by a N is a NP. The left side of the arrow is the category whose components are defined on the right side. The right side of the arrow also shows the linear order of these components.;Phrase structure rules make explicit speakers’ kno