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Syntax

Here are tree diagrams for the sentences: Nora found the keys quickly: S NP VP Nora V NP Adv found the keys quickly Tom runs fast: S NP VP Tom V Adv runs fast Mona put the bag on the table: S NP VP Mona V NP PP put the bag P NP on the table A small boy saw George with a crazy dog: S NP Art Adj N A small boy VP V NP PP

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Ashraf
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273 views

Syntax

Here are tree diagrams for the sentences: Nora found the keys quickly: S NP VP Nora V NP Adv found the keys quickly Tom runs fast: S NP VP Tom V Adv runs fast Mona put the bag on the table: S NP VP Mona V NP PP put the bag P NP on the table A small boy saw George with a crazy dog: S NP Art Adj N A small boy VP V NP PP

Uploaded by

Ashraf
Copyright
© © All Rights Reserved
Available Formats
Download as PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd
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Syntax

Part 1

What is Syntax ?
The analysis of phrases and sentences
: It studies the way words are
combined with each other to form
grammatical sentences in a rulegoverned way.

Deep Structure & Surface Structure


Surface Structure :the superficial or
apparent structure of sentence.
It relates to the order of elements
,i.e, the grammatical(syntactic) form
of a sentence.

For example,
Nora broke the window
the window was broken by Nora.
Two sentences with different surface
structures.

The first is active


The second is passive

The deep structure : it is the underlying


abstract structure in which the
elements determining structural
interpretation are represented.
It relates to the abstract , underlying
meaning of a sentence.

The same deep structure can be the


source of other surface structures
such as
It was Nora who broke the window
Was the window broken by Nora ?

Structural Ambiguity
Annie bumped into a man with an
umbrella.
It has two different underlining meanings
,but the same surface structure.

Thus, this sentence is structurally


ambiguous.

What is Structural Ambiguity ?


A situation in which a single phrase or sentence
has two or more different underlying
structures and interpretations.

Small boys and girls

Recursion
We can embed phrases within phrases of the
same type.

Example,
The gun was on the table near the window in the
bedroom.
This is the dog that chased the cat that killed
the rat that ate the fruit.

Recursion :the repeated application of


a rule in generating structures

There is no end to the recursion that would


produce ever longer versions of complex
sentences with this structure.
This one feature of grammar. A sentence can
have another sentence inside it or that a
phrase can be repeated

Syntactic Structure Analysis

Symbols used in syntactic analysis


p.101

Tree Diagram
The boy
NP
ART

The

boy

Tree diagram : a diagram with branches


showing the hierarchical organization
of structures

Types of phrases
Noun phrase (NP)
Verb phrase(VP)
Prepositional phrase(PP)

Every phrase has at least one nonoptional (obligatory)element.


NP always has N
VP always has V
PP always has Prep

Phrase structure rules


Phrases are governed by rules
.Theses rules are called phrase
structure rules

Phrase Structure rules


They are rules that state that the
structure of a phrase of a specific
type consists of one or more
constitutes in a particular order

Noun Phrase
NP

{(Art) (Adj) N ,Pro ,PN}

A noun phrase consists of either


An article + an optional adjective + N
A pronoun
A proper noun

NP

{Art (Adj) N ,Pro ,PN}

Examples,
The cat
The cute cat
He
Mohammed

The cat

The cute cat

The cat

The cute cat

NP

NP

Art

The

cat

Art

N
Adj

The

cute

cat

Prepositional Phrase (PP)


PP

Prep NP

"A prepositional phrase consists of a preposition


and a noun phrase."

Examples
With an umbrella
Behind the tree
On the table

With an umbrella

With an umbrella

PP

NP
Art

with

an

umbrella

Verb Phrase
VP

V (NP) (PP) (Adv)

"A verb phrase is composed of a verb plus an


optional noun phrase plus an optional
prepositional phrase and optional adverb
Examples :
Mona left
Mona left the house
Mona put the bag on the table
Mona left the house quickly

Mona left

Mona left the house

Mona left
VP

Mona left the house


VP

Left

NP
Art

left

the

N
house

Mona left the house quickly

Mona left the house quickly

VP
V

NP
Art

left

the

Adv
N

house

quickly

NP VP

A dog followed the boy


S
NP
Art

VP
N

dog

followed

NP
Art
the

N
boy

Draw a tree diagram to illustrate the phrase


structure rule in the following sentences

Nora found the keys quickly


Tom runs fast
Mona put the bag on the table
A small boy saw George with a crazy dog

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