Chapter 5 - Syntax Flashcards
Syntax
A level of grammar that specifically refers to the arrangement of words and morphemes in the construction of sentences.
Descriptive syntax (grammar)
The mostly subconscious rules of a language that one uses to combine smaller units.
Prescriptive syntax (grammar)
The concept that there is a correct and incorrect way to speak, write, or sign.
Transformation (generative) grammar
A syntax model that includes a finite set of rules that could hypothetically produce (generate) an infinite number of utterances.
Sentence
A string of words that is grammatically complete with at least two components: a subject and a predicate.
Constituents
Units combined to create larger syntactic constructions
Subject
Topic of the sentence
Predicate
A comment or assertion made about the topic
Simple sentence
A sentence with one subject and one predicate
Compound sentence
Two simple sentences joined by a coordinating conjunction; in writing, punctuation can substitute for the conjunction.
Independent clause
A simple sentence
Dependent clause
A subject and predicate but cannot stand alone as a simple sentence; it must depends on an independent clause to make it complete.
Complex sentence
A simple sentence and one or more dependent clauses
Compound-complex sentence
Two or more independent clauses and at least one dependent clause
Phrase
Any constituent of a clause
Head of a phrase
The word that determines the syntactic or phrasal category of that phrase
Dependents of a phrase
All parts of a phrase that are not its head
Specifier
Makes the meaning of the head more precise
Complements
Provide further information about the head
Noun phrase
Does the work of a noun
Determiner
A word used before a noun to indicate whether the noun refers to something that is specific or general.
Verb phrase
It includes a verb and can include an auxiliary verb, direct or indirect object, and modifiers.
Adjective phrase
Headed by an adjective but might also include an adjective modifier.
Adverb phrase
A modifier of a verb
Prepositional phrase
It can function to modify a noun phrase or a verb phrase.
Grammatical (well-formed)
A sentence in which sequence of words conforms to the syntactic knowledge (rules) of native speakers of a language.
Ungrammatical (ill-formed)
A sentence in which the sequence of words does not conform to the syntactic knowledge (rules) of fluent speakers of a language.
Constituents
Units combined to create larger syntactic constructions
Subject
Topic of the sentence
Predicate
A comment or assertion made about the topic
Simple sentence
A sentence with one subject and one predicate
Compound sentence
Two simple sentences joined by a coordinating conjunction; in writing, punctuation can substitute for the conjunction.
Independent clause
A simple sentence
Dependent clause
A subject and predicate but cannot stand alone as a simple sentence; it must depends on an independent clause to make it complete.
Complex sentence
A simple sentence and one or more dependent clauses
Compound-complex sentence
Two or more independent clauses and at least one dependent clause
Phrase
Any constituent of a clause
Head of a phrase
The word that determines the syntactic or phrasal category of that phrase
Dependents of a phrase
All parts of a phrase that are not its head
Specifier
Makes the meaning of the head more precise
Complements
Provide further information about the head
Noun phrase
Does the work of a noun
Determiner
A word used before a noun to indicate whether the noun refers to something that is specific or general.
Verb phrase
It includes a verb and can include an auxiliary verb, direct or indirect object, and modifiers.
Adjective phrase
Headed by an adjective but might also include an adjective modifier.
Adverb phrase
A modifier of a verb
Prepositional phrase
It can function to modify a noun phrase or a verb phrase.
Grammatical (well-formed)
A sentence in which sequence of words conforms to the syntactic knowledge (rules) of native speakers of a language.
Ungrammatical (ill-formed)
A sentence in which the sequence of words does not conform to the syntactic knowledge (rules) of fluent speakers of a language.
Linear word order
The specific sequence that different types of words follow
Case
The function of nouns, pronouns, and adjectives within a sentence and the relationship of these words to verbs and and other words within the sentence.
Lexical/polysemantic ambiguity
Refers to the situation in which a word or phrase can refer to more than one meaning
Structural/syntactic ambiguity
Exists when the constituents of an utterance
Part-of-speech ambiguity
Exists when a word in an utterance could be interpreted as belonging to different lexical categories.
Tree diagram
An illustration in form of an upside-down tree shape that shows the constituents of an utterance, with the most general at the top and specific constituents at the bottom of the tree.
Lexicon
A specific language is a list of all the morphemes that are used in that language to form words.
Co-occurrence restriction
A limitation on the use of a morpheme
Phrase marker (phrase structure tree)
A tree diagram that specifies the function of each constituent of an utterance
Node
A point in a tree diagram where branching occurs
Phrase structure rules
Specify how constituents of an utterance are arranged and what constituents can occur as parts of other constituents (the hierarchical structure of a sentence)
Universal grammar (UG)
The system involving phonemic difference, word order, and phrase recognition that is the basis for the theory of the innateness of language acquisition.
Surface structure
An actual utterance that can be broken down by conventional methods of syntactic analysis.
Deep structure
A highly abstract level of language that represents the basic meaning of a sentence.
Transformational rules (T-rules)
Relate the spoken form of sentence (surface structure) to their underlying meaning (deep structure)
Phrasal verb
A verb phrase consisting of a verbal base and and verbal particle.
Verbal base
The main part of the verb
Verbal particles
Prepositions that co-occur with some verbs and can appear to the left or right of the direct object noun phrase.
Topicalization
A movement transformation that creates a derived sentence with a different focus or emphasis than the basic sentence.
