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Syntax Transformations

Syntax Transformations. LING 200 Spring 2003. Reading: File 6.6. More on movement. Two kinds of syntactic rules Phrase structure rules: generate basic structures Transformational rules: permute or ‘move’ structures generated by phrase structure rules in limited ways

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Syntax Transformations

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  1. SyntaxTransformations LING 200 Spring 2003 Reading: File 6.6

  2. More on movement • Two kinds of syntactic rules • Phrase structure rules: generate basic structures • Transformational rules: • permute or ‘move’ structures generated by phrase structure rules in limited ways • prevent PS rules from becoming overly complicated • can account for syntactic discontinuity

  3. Model of syntax P-S rules generate: ‘deep’ syntactic structure transformational rules:  ‘surface’ syntactic structure Not every sentence contains evidence of transformational rules!

  4. Some transformational rules of English • Subject – Aux inversion • Dative shift • Particle movement

  5. Subject – Aux inversion NP[The student who slept through the last lecture] Aux[should be] VP[studying]. Subject – Aux inversion: S[NP Aux[X Y] S[X NP Aux[Y Should the student who slept through the last lecture be studying?

  6. Dative shift • The TA gave a prize to the best student. • The TA gave the best student a prize. • The student left the homework assignment for their TA. • The student left their TA the homework assignment. • I’ll find the right size for you. • I’ll find you the right size.

  7. Two possible accounts of dative shift 1. Modify the PS rules: VP  V NP NP But: *The student V[put] NP[the assignment] NP[the TA’s box]. 2. Modify the output of the PS rules. The Dative Shift transformation: V NP1 P-NP2 V NP2 NP1 :

  8. Dative shift PS rules: VP  V NP PP The TA VP[V[gave] NP[a prize] PP[P[to]] NP[the best student]]]. Dative shift: V NP1 P-NP2 V NP2 NP1 The TA V[gave] NP[a prize] PP[to the best student]. Output:  The TA VP[V[gave] NP[the best student] NP[a prize]].

  9. Restrictions on Dative shift • Dative shift transformation lexically restricted to: • bring...to, give...to, show...to, read...to, ... • do...for, find...for, make...for, save...for, ... • ask (a question) of • Not every V NP PP: - The magician touched the girl with the wand. - *The magician touched the wand the girl. • Not every V NP PP[to NP] - Paul Allen donated a million dollars to the university. - *Paul Allen donated the university a million dollars. • Not every V[give] NP PP - They gave themselves up to the police. - *They gave the police themselves (up).

  10. Verb - particle movement • Two types of V P NP in English • V PP: VP[V PP[P NP]] V[look] PP[at the solution] V[rely] PP[on the help] V[wait] PP[for the next best thing] V[defer] PP[to a higher authority] V[run] PP[up the hill]

  11. Phrasal verbs 2. Phrasal verb: VP[V[V P] NP] V  V (P) (P = preposition, “particle”) V[V[put] P[on]] NP[a coat] V[V[put] P[off]] NP[the decision] V[V[give] P[out]] NP[the exam] V[V[call] P[up]] NP[the dean] V[V[get] P[out]] NP[a pencil] V[V[stand] P[up]] NP[a date] V[V[run] P[up]] NP[the bill]

  12. Differences between V PP, phrasal verbs 1. Position of pronominalized NP:

  13. Phrasal verbs and ‘particle movement’ Optional with full NP: put on a coat, put a coat on Obligatory with pronoun: *put on it,put it on run up a bill, run it up put off the decision, put it off give out the exam, give it out call up the dean, call him up

  14. V PP vs. phrasal verbs 2. Entire PP can be moved to the beginning of the sentence (‘preposed’):

  15. V PP vs. phrasal verbs • 3. Sentence fragment test: • Only a constituent can substitute for a sentence.

  16. V PP vs. phrasal verbs 4. Separability of V, P

  17. V PP vs. phrasal verbs 5. Possibility of coordinating PP

  18. Summary and analysis • The linear string • V P NP • has two possible analyses: • V [P NP] V + PP • [V P] NP phrasal verb

  19. Position of nominal vs. pronominal objects

  20. Position of pronominalized NP Particle Movement (transformation) Verb P]V NP 1 2 3  1 3 2 (optional unless NP is pronoun (then obligatory))

  21. Transformational vs. PS approach to Particle Movement Purely phrase structure approach VP  V (P) (NP) (run up the bill) VP  V (NP) (P) (run the bill up)

  22. Drawbacks of purely PS approach • doesn’t represent phrasal verbs as syntactic or lexical unit • no savings in # rules needed (1 PS rule + 1 transformation) • additional rule would be needed (VP  V P PP) for phrasal verb + PP: [V[put] P[up]] PP[with the situation] [V[let] P[up]] PP[on the pedal]

  23. [V P] PP • Preposing: on the pedal we let up • Sentence fragment: did you let up on the pedal? No, (on) the brake. • Separability: let up carefully on the pedal. • Coordination: let upon the clutch and (on) the accelerator • (No Particle movement: let up on it, *let on it up)

  24. Summary • Sentences are not just unstructured strings of words • Two kinds of syntactic rules • Phrase structure rules • Transformational rules: • Some transformational rules of English • Subject – Aux inversion • Dative shift • Particle movement

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