Transformational amp; Generative Grammar.ppt

Transformational Generative Grammar SM2220 The Writing Machine March 8, 2005 Linda Lai What is grammar? Grammar is the detailed descriptions of a particular language. To develop a theory of language structure, one must first study a particular grammar. What is grammar? Grammar covers: morphology 词法: internal structure of words syntax 句法: how words are combined to form phrases and sentences phonology音系学（语音模式） : pronunciation semantics 语意学: meanings What is grammar? Grammar can be devised and compiled. Grammar takes the form of a set of rules or principles which tell you how to “speak” (pronounce and form phrases and sentences) and “understand” the language. What is grammar? Descriptive rules Vs Prescriptive rules 描述性的法则 Vs 规范性的法则 Modern linguistics (since the 1970s) is purely descriptive… i.e. it doesn’t tell us whether a sentence is correct/incorrect, but – grammatical/ungrammatical well-formed/ill-formed Generative Grammar Founded by Noam Chomsky in the late 1950s… Language is a rule-governed system: i.e. a restricted set of principles (a grammar) can account for a wide range of concrete language practices. Generative grammar studies concentrate on sentence grammar.. i.e. principles that distinguish possible English sentences from impossible ones. What is Grammar? [Chomsky’s Generative Grammar “生成语法”] Competence = infinite rule-governed creativity Not only about knowledge of familiar sentences, but also for those we have never heard of before i.e. the ability to produce comprehensible new sentences… [Chomsky’s mentalist view] Grammar is about… competence + performance [Speaker/hearer’s knowledge of the language] [actual use of language in real situations] What is Grammar? [Chomsky’s mentalist view] Grammar is about… competence + performance [Speaker/hearer’s knowledge of the language] [actual use of language in real situations] [competence] [well-formed sentences Vs ill-formed sentences] My uncle realizes that I’m a busy cook. My cat realis