Syntax Flashcards
Syntax
Study of grammar
Acceptable ordering in a sentence
Set of rules understood by all speakers
Creativity: can generate new sentences based on these rules
Language «rules»
Rules refer only to a particular point in time, because:
- Language is always changing
- always exceptions
- membership to linguistics categories are fuzzy
Criteria of word classes
- definition
- distribution
- shape
Open class words
Content words
Open-class, all have primary syllable, N, V, Adj, Adv
Closed class words
Do not readily add new members, can become obsolete
- determiners: the
- prepositions: in
- pronouns: he
- auxiliary: be
- conjunctions: and
- interjections: yes
Nouns
Generally closed to verbs
Have modifiers: pre-modifiers and post-modifiers
Nouns groups
-countable nouns: singular+plural
-non-countable: do not use «a», numbers or have a plural
(Beware ellipsis)
- common nouns: label a whole class of things
- proper nouns: capitalized, label a specific thing
- concrete: can be felt
- abstract: non physical
Verb groups
Punctual: instant action
Durative: long duration
Performative: the action is said aloud
Lexical: normal verb causing an action
auxiliary: support other verbs, can be primary or modal
- defective: lex or aux that cannot be inflected/ have a limited use
Labelling verbs
- infinitive
- V+s: present tense
- V+ed: past tense
- V+ing: present participle
- V+en: past participle
Auxiliary verbs categories
Primary: have, be, do
(Lexical and auxiliary)
Modal: closed class, always auxiliary, versatile when indicating tense
Verbs and their complement
Groups
- no complement: require nothing
- one complement: require one phrase
- two complements: require 2
- optional complement: can be dropped
Predicate adjuncts
Not require by verbs and not complements but modify predicate
Transitivity
Transitive verbs: have 1 single obligatory NP
Intransitive: have no NP complement
Ambi-transitive: can have or nit gave complements (either transitive or intransitive)
Ditransitive: 2 phrases follow verb
Copula verbs
Always require a complement
Be, seem, appear, become
Adjectives
Express properties/ qualities of a noun they modify and can be inflected
Distribution:
- before noun: attributive
- after copula verb: predicate adjective
