Syntax

Definition:Syntax is a branch of linguistics that studies the rules that govern the formation of sentences .

Syntax

• Definition:Syntax is a branch of linguistics that studies the rules that govern the formation of sentences .
• Category
  • Definition:A group of linguistic it items which fulfill the same or similar functions in a particular language,such as a sentence,a noun phrase or a verb.
  • Word-level
    • Major:N,V,A,P
    • Minor:Det,Deg,Qual,Aux,con
  • Phrase
    • Np,Vp,Ap,Pp,
      • Specifiers +head+complement
• Phrase structure rule
  • Definition:special type of grammatical mechanism that regulates the arrangement of elements that make up a phrase
    • NP:(Det)N(PP)
    • VP:(Qual)V(NP)
    • AP:(Deg)A(PP)
    • PP:(Deg)P(NP)
  • XP Rule:XP——›（specifier）X(complement)
  • Coordination Rule:X——›X*ConX
    • 1.there is no limit on the number of coordinated categories that can appear prior to the conjunction
    • 2. a category at any level (a head or an entire XP)can be coordinated
    • 3. coordinated categories must be same type
    • 4. Othe category type of the coordinated phrase is identical to the category type of the elements being conjuncted.
• Phrase elements
  • specifiers: Specifier have both special semantic and syntactic roles.
    • Semantically, they help make more precise the meaning of the head. Syntactically, they typically mark a phrase boundary
  • complements
    • complements are themselves phrases and provide information about entities and locations whose existence is implied by the meaning of the head.
  • modifiers: modifiers specify optionally expressible properties of head.
• Transformation
  • Auxiliary movement
    • inversion: move infl to the left of the subject NP. inversion (revised) : Move Infl to C
  • Do insertion: Insert interrogative do into an empty infl position
  • D.S&S.S
    • The XP Rule——›Deep Structure——›T ransformations——›Surface Structure
  • Wh movement
    • More the Wh phrase to the beginning of the sentence. (rivised) Move a Wh phrase to the specifier position under CP.