SyntaxSyntax

EDL 1201EDL 1201

Linguistics for ELTLinguistics for ELT

ObjectivesObjectives

Constituent analysis.Constituent analysis. Structural analysisStructural analysis Application for classroom useApplication for classroom use

DefinitionsDefinitions

Knowledge of sentences and their Knowledge of sentences and their structuresstructures (Fromkin, pg 118) (Fromkin, pg 118)

Is the part of grammar that governs Is the part of grammar that governs the form of strings by which the form of strings by which language users make statements, language users make statements, ask questions, gives directives, etc. ask questions, gives directives, etc. (Finegan, pg 146)(Finegan, pg 146)

Grammatical arrangements of words Grammatical arrangements of words in sentences.in sentences.

What Fromkin means by structure is What Fromkin means by structure is also word orderalso word order

Word order in constructing sentences Word order in constructing sentences depends on rules. This is one of the depends on rules. This is one of the universals of language.universals of language.

Try ex on pg 119 Grammatical or Try ex on pg 119 Grammatical or Ungrammatical?Ungrammatical?

Constituent analysisConstituent analysis

Constituents – are natural groupings of a Constituents – are natural groupings of a sentencesentence

Eg “Eg “The child found the puppyThe child found the puppy” (pg 123)” (pg 123) ““What did you findWhat did you find?” answer “a puppy”.?” answer “a puppy”. The answer that can be used to answer The answer that can be used to answer

the question is a constituent.the question is a constituent. Our knowledge on constituent structure Our knowledge on constituent structure

may be graphically represented as a tree may be graphically represented as a tree structure. Pg 125structure. Pg 125

Every sentence in a language is Every sentence in a language is associated with one or more associated with one or more constituent structures.constituent structures.

If a sentence has more than 1 If a sentence has more than 1 constituent structure, it is constituent structure, it is ambiguous.ambiguous.

Eg ‘synthetic buffalo hides’ Eg ‘synthetic buffalo hides’

Syntactic categorySyntactic category

Any group of words which can Any group of words which can substitute another word of the same substitute another word of the same category without losing its category without losing its grammaticality.grammaticality.

““The child put….” pg 125The child put….” pg 125 Eg. ‘the child’ can be substituted with Eg. ‘the child’ can be substituted with

‘a police officer’, ‘your neighbour’, etc.‘a police officer’, ‘your neighbour’, etc. All these words belong to a syntactic All these words belong to a syntactic

category called the Noun Phrase (NP).category called the Noun Phrase (NP). Read 127Read 127

Phrase structure treePhrase structure tree

Is sometimes called a constiuent Is sometimes called a constiuent structure tree.structure tree.

- it is a graphic representation of a - it is a graphic representation of a speaker’s knowledge of the sentence speaker’s knowledge of the sentence structure in their language.structure in their language.

Words are inlinear order, they are Words are inlinear order, they are grouped in syntactic categories, and grouped in syntactic categories, and have hierarchical structure. have hierarchical structure.

Phrase structure treePhrase structure tree

Look at example pg 129Look at example pg 129 Try ex. 3, 6, and 7, pg 166-167Try ex. 3, 6, and 7, pg 166-167

What grammatically What grammatically is not based on?is not based on? 1. Not based on having heard a 1. Not based on having heard a

particular sentence beforeparticular sentence before For example: sentence on pg 120. For example: sentence on pg 120. ““Enormous crickets in pink socks Enormous crickets in pink socks

danced at the promdanced at the prom”” Or “dalam perjalanan pulang aku Or “dalam perjalanan pulang aku

ternampak seorang perandi yang ternampak seorang perandi yang kusar bermurap untuk menunggal kusar bermurap untuk menunggal sebuah kerup. Kerup yang akan sebuah kerup. Kerup yang akan bergentur ke Kg Jaloi.”bergentur ke Kg Jaloi.”

2. grammatical judgements do not 2. grammatical judgements do not depend on whether a sentence is depend on whether a sentence is meaningful or not. For example,meaningful or not. For example,

““Colourless green ideas sleep Colourless green ideas sleep furiously”.furiously”.

A combination of both 1 and 2:A combination of both 1 and 2: ““I lost my handosh, said the woman.”I lost my handosh, said the woman.”

Grammatical or not? 3Grammatical or not? 3

It may be a combination of It may be a combination of nonsensical words nonsensical words

See Fromkin pg 121See Fromkin pg 121 ““Twas brillig, and the slithy toves”Twas brillig, and the slithy toves”

What else about syntax?What else about syntax?

Other than grammatical or not, it Other than grammatical or not, it also acounts for multiple meanings also acounts for multiple meanings as well, or ambiguity.as well, or ambiguity.

Words have hierachical structureWords have hierachical structure See pg 121 ‘buffalo hides’See pg 121 ‘buffalo hides’ See other examples – pg 122See other examples – pg 122 Syntactic knowledge also enables us Syntactic knowledge also enables us

to determine the grammatical to determine the grammatical relations between sentences.relations between sentences.

Knowledge of syntax accounts for:Knowledge of syntax accounts for:

The grammaticality of sentencesThe grammaticality of sentences Word orderWord order Hierarchical organisation of sentencesHierarchical organisation of sentences Grammatical relations such as subject Grammatical relations such as subject

– object– object Whether diff structures have diff or Whether diff structures have diff or

same meaningsame meaning The creative aspect of languageThe creative aspect of language

The endThe end