INTRODUCING TRANSFORMATIONAL

GENERATIVE GRAMMAR
APPLICATION 1

Dr. Sridevi Sriniwass
TD 10, 2
ND
FLOOR NEW BLOCK, FBL.
sridevi@um.edu.my, 7967 3193
SRIDEVI SRINIWASS
Linguistics is usually defined as the discipline
which concerns itself with the study of language,
although what language is taken to be may differ
from one school to another.
In the Generative tradition, language is
understood to refer to the knowledge that native
speakers have which, together with other
faculties of the mind enables them to
communicate, express their thoughts and perform
various other functions.
Generative linguists try to characterise the
knowledge that native speakers have of their
language.
SRIDEVI SRINIWASS
Which of the sentences below are
meaningful sentences?
1. The the likes
boy girl.
2. The boy likes
the girl.
3. The girl likes
the boy.
4. The girl is liked
by the boy.
5. Boy girl likes
the the
(1) and (5) do not make
meaningful sentences.
(2), (3) and (4) make
meaningful sentences.
(3) has the opposite
meaning of (2)
(4) has a meaning similar
to (2)

SRIDEVI SRINIWASS
Consider the following two
sentences:
1. The girl asked the boy to leave.
2. The girl asked the boy to be allowed to leave.

3. The boy is too stubborn to talk to the girl.
4. The boy is too stubborn to talk to.

5. The boy: Do you want some coffee?
6. The girl: Coffee keeps me awake.
7. The ability to infer the right message from the
answer depends on knowledge of contextual
information.
SRIDEVI SRINIWASS
Need to make a distinction between:
Knowledge of the English language
Ability to use this knowledge properly in different
situations.

Not the skill of manipulating language but
knowing the language.
The kind of knowledge that is common to all
normal speakers of English irrespective of their
other abilities and skills.
SRIDEVI SRINIWASS
Constituents & Hierarchies
2.
A
B C
D E
SRIDEVI SRINIWASS
3a. This boy can solve the problem.
Det N Aux V Det N
This boy can solve the problem.
S
SRIDEVI SRINIWASS
4. This boy can solve the problem.
Det N Aux V
Det N
This boy can solve the problem.
S
?
SRIDEVI SRINIWASS
5. This boy can solve the problem.
Det N Aux
V Det
N
This boy can solve the problem.
S
?
SRIDEVI SRINIWASS
11. This boy can solve the problem.
Det N Aux
V Det N
This boy can solve the problem.
S
VP
SRIDEVI SRINIWASS
13. This boy can solve the problem.
Det N Aux V Det N
This boy can solve the problem.
S
NP VP
SRIDEVI SRINIWASS
15. This boy can solve the problem.
Det N
Aux
V
Det N
This boy can
solve the problem.
S
VP
NP2
NP1
SRIDEVI SRINIWASS
Categories of the same class tend to cluster
together in the form of larger constituents.
Empirical basis for the conclusion that the and
problem form a single constituent, three criteria
fulfilled: Proform, Co-ordination and
Displacement.
The verb alone forms an autonomous constituent
of VP.



SRIDEVI SRINIWASS
The hierarchical relations between categories are
expressed in terms of the relation of dominance.
A category is said to immediately dominate its
immediate constituents.
Thus S immediately dominates NP1, Aux and VP.
VP immediately dominates V and NP2.
NP immediately dominates Det and N.
S dominates V and NP2 though not directly.
This is called mere dominance.
Note the difference with immediate dominance.

SRIDEVI SRINIWASS
A category is said to immediately dominate its
constituents and merely dominate the
constituents of its constituents.
The notion constituent of a constituent is crucial
in determining dominance relations.
Because V and NP2 are not constituents of NP1,
the latter does not dominate them.

SRIDEVI SRINIWASS
(15) is called a TREE DIAGRAM.
Immediate constituents of a category are DAUGHTERS of
that category.
For example, Det and N are DAUGHTERS of NP.
V and NP2 are DAUGHTERS of VP.
Obviously, if Det and N are DAUGHTERS of NP, then NP
is their MOTHER.
If V and NP2 are DAUGHTERS of VP, then VP is their
MOTHER.
Also if Det and N are daughters of the same MOTHER,
then Det and N are SISTERS.

SRIDEVI SRINIWASS
Reference
Ouhalla, Jamal. (1999). Introducing
Transformational Grammar: from Principles and
Parameters to Minimalism. Arnold: London.
SRIDEVI SRINIWASS