Page 378 - DENG504_LINGUISTICS

Linguistics

Notes
S

NP VP

A N V NP

AUX MV A N

THE LINGUIST WILL ANALYZE A SENTENCE

Here NP + VP represents the initial string and (The + linguist + will + analyse + a + sentence) the
terminal string. This relation can also be shown in the form of labelled bracketing :
(((The) A (linguist) N) NP) ((will) Aux. (analyze) MV) V
((a) (A) (sentence) N) NP) VP) S
The labels NP, VP, A, N, V, Aux., MV.....show that the constituents represent different classes or
categories. These labels are categorical functions. The two noun phrases in the sentence perform two
different grammatical functions. The Noun phrase (the linguist) functions as the ‘Subject’ of the
sentence and the Noun phrase (a sentence) functions as the object of the Verb Phrase (or of the Main
verb). Each constituent in a construction has a positionally defined grammatical function. These
functions are : Subject, Object, Complement, Adjunct, Predicator. Any single class/category may
serve several functions, e.g. a Noun Phrase may function as the subject of a sentence or as the Object
of the Main Verb. ‘Subject’ and ‘object’ are not constituents in the sense in which NP and VP are. They
are functions performed by constituents in particular configurations.
In a tree-diagram representation, the lines that lead down from one point to the next lower point are
called branches; and the point, between which the lines run, are called nodes. Nodes refer to the
places at which classes branch into sub-classes. Branching means analysis of a category into a sequence
of categories, as when S is analysed into NP + Aux + VP. A symbol or a string is said to be dominated
by another symbol if the latter appears higher in the tree but in the same line of derivation. For
example, in the tree diagram given above NP and VP are both dominated by S. In terms of tree
diagram, ‘Object’ is that NP which is immediately dominated by S and ‘Subject’ is that NP which is
dominated by VP. Thus Subject and Object are recognized at different levels of constituent structure.
The notion ‘Subject’, as distinct from the notion ‘NP’. designates a grammatical function rather than
a grammatical category. A grammatical function is an inherently relational notion.
29.3 Phrase Structure Grammars

There are three distinct periods of development in the theory of constituent structure. Bloomfield
only introduced notion and explained it by means of example. His followers, notably Eugene Nida,
Rulon Wells, Zells Harris, formulated the principles of constituent analysis in greater detail and
replaced Bloomfield’s somewhat vague reference to ‘taking account of the meanings, with explicitly
distributional criteria.’ Finally, in the last few years, the theory of constituent structure has been
formalized and subjected to mathematical rigour by Chomsky and other scholars and has been called
‘Phrase Structure Grammar.’
Once we start using ‘levels’ we have clearly departed from simple analysis and are undertaking
analysis somewhat similar to traditional phrasing, the division of sentences into already established
grammatical elements. This kind of analysis is today usually called ‘phrase structure grammar.’ It
shows some of the weaknesses of the simple IC analysis. There are sophisticated versions of phrase
structure grammars. The three best known are ‘Scale and Category Grammar’ associated with the
name of Michael Halliday of London University. ‘Tagmemics’ is associated with the name Kenneth
Pike of Michigan, and ‘Stratificational Grammar’ associated with Sidney Lamb of Yale.

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