Showing posts with label generative linguistics. Show all posts
Showing posts with label generative linguistics. Show all posts

Five Definitions of Deep Structure

1. Deep structure is the output of phrase structure rules
   We can not have deep structure if we don’t have phrase structure rules.

e.g.
tree diagram
















2. Deep structure is the input of transformation rules. We can apply transformation rules if we have deep   structure.
transformation rules

















3. Deep structure is the level of grammar which can explain adequately the concepts of subject, direct object and indirect object.
  • Subject is a noun phrase which is directly dominated by category of sentence.
  • Direct object is a noun phrase which is directly dominated by verb phrase
  • Indirect object is a noun phrase which is directly dominated by prepositional phrase.
e.g.

4. Deep structure is the level where we can apply selectional restriction rules (rules that restrict the selection of lexicons in a sentence)

e.g. the grass devoured the elephant (it is impossible, how the grass can eat an elephant)
The rule is:
- animate + animate > subject
+ animate +animate < subject

e.g. The tiger devoured the goat. 
The ones who don’t follow the selectional restriction rules are the linguist, writers, author.

5. Deep structure is the level which can solve the problem of ambiguity.
e.g.
"The girl hits the man with an umbrella."

Tree diagram
Note:

  • The meaning: the girl hits the man who brings an umbrella;
  • The PP is directly dominated by NP.

Note:
  • The meaning: the girl hits the man by using an umbrella;
  • The PP is directly dominated by VP.
Tree Diagram

  • Digg
  • Del.icio.us
  • StumbleUpon
  • Reddit
  • RSS
0Comments

Phrase Structure Rules

These rules refer to rules to generate a large number of sentences with only a small number of rules. Below are the Phrase Structure Rules:
(1). S => NP + VP (=>: can be written as)
(2) Noun Phrase





Note: The curly bracket indicates choices.

(3) Auxiliary => tense (modal)(have+en)(be+ing)
(4) Tense







(5) Verb
VP => V.int + 0 NP   (ket: Zero)
          V.Tr.+NP+(prep+NP)

 V.int. verb intransitive, V.tr verb transitive
Transitive become V have + NP
Transitive V seem + Adv

(6) preposition
PP=> Prep NP

  • Digg
  • Del.icio.us
  • StumbleUpon
  • Reddit
  • RSS
0Comments

Deep Structure vs. Surface Structure

One of the most important concepts proposed by Chomsky is the concept of surface and deep structure. The Generativism paradigm claims that the concept of structural analysis proposed by Structuralism paradigm is too swallow, it only reaches the level of surface structure. Surface structure can be defined as the syntactic form they take as actual sentences. In the other words, it is forms of sentences resulted from  modification/ transformation. Consider these sentences:


(1)   You close the door.
(2)   The door is closed by you.
(3)   Close the door!

The first sentence is active, second is passive, and the last is imparative. However, if you take a look those closely, you will find that those three are very closely related, even identical.  They seem to be identical, since they have the same undelying abstract representation that is called deep structure. It is defined as an abstract level of structural organization in which all the elements determining structural interpretation are represented. If you want to analyze the relation of those three sentences, the first you have to know about the deep structure of them, since deep structure is the input of transformation rules. We cannot apply transformation rules if you don’t  have deep structure. transformation rules are sets of rules which will change or move constitiuents in the structures derive from the phrase structure rules.

e.g.
The DS (deep structure)
tree diagram


(2)
SD (structure describtion)  :
SC (Structural change)      :
SS (Surface structure)       :
1 2 3 4
3 4 + be 2+en 1
The door is closed by you  
Note: the SC is passive transformation rules

(3)
SD:
SC:
SS:
1 2 3 4
0 2 3 4
Close the door!
Note: 0 is deletion



From the above example, it can be concluded that deep structure then is a pure representation of thematic relations. Anything which is interpreted as the subject or object of a given predicate will be in the subject or object position of that predicate at Deep structure no matter where it is found at Surface structure.

  • Digg
  • Del.icio.us
  • StumbleUpon
  • Reddit
  • RSS
0Comments

Chomsky's Generative Linguistics: An Introduction

Perspective Border
Q:        Why is it called 'generative'?
A:      'generative'- to generate = (1) to produce, (2) to specify the rules
(1)  owing to our mental grammar, when we speak / write we produce new grammatical sentences.
(2)  Generative Grammar describes our mental grammar by specifying the rules / making the hidden linguistic rules in our head explicit. It has two ways:
(a) by drawing a tree structure (Tree diagrams);
(b) by stating the Phrase Structure (PS) Rules in the form of “re-write” rules: X à X  Z 
(e.g., S à NP  VP)

Three important linguistic principles
Q:      What makes us able to distinguish between grammatical and ungrammatical sentences?

A:      The “mental grammar” or the “linguistic competence” in our mind does.
The first principle proposed by Chomsky is (1) Language is a mental fact.

How many sentences do you think you can arrange from these words?

"saw – tigers – Wilson"

(1)        *Saw tigers Wilson (ill-formed)

(2)        *Saw Wilson tigers (ill-formed)

(3)        Tigers saw Wilson (unusual meaning)

(4)        *Tigers Wilson saw (ill-formed)

(5)        Wilson saw tigers (well-formed)

(6)        *Wilson tigers saw (ill-formed)



Q:        Can language imitated and produced by parrot be called a language?

A:        (2) Language is innate in the sense that every human child is endowed with the LAD (language acquisition device).  It is this LAD that makes  language  acquisition possible.  Note that the LAD is species-specific, that is, only humans—but not animals—have the LAD.  Therefore, only humans—but not animals—can acquire human language.

Q:        Can you produce an English sentence/ utterance that never be used by any other human in this surface of the earth?
A:        (3) Language is creative.  “linguistic creativity” = crossing the borders / limits of linguistic rules,e.g., That’s very you; kopi banget; benci àmembencikan; to slipper the cockroach; Is this a knock-knock bird?

This can be explained in two different ways.  First, as noted above, “linguistic
creativity” means crossing the borders/limits of the existing linguistic rules.  In
addition to the examples given above, some poets are fond of “violating” linguistic
rules, since they are entitled to “poetic license” = lisensia puitika
            Anyone lived in a pretty how town
            With up so floating many bells down
            Spring summer autumn winter
            He sang his didn’t, he danced his did.
                                                (E. E. Cummings)

Secondly, “creativity” refers to our every use of our language.  Every time we speak / write, we “create” new utterances/sentences. 


  • Digg
  • Del.icio.us
  • StumbleUpon
  • Reddit
  • RSS
0Comments
Related Posts Plugin for WordPress, Blogger...