Pdf the xbar theory of phrase structure geoffrey pullum and. The following trees illustrate how xbar theory works. X theory the idea of crosscategorial similarities was developed in a theory that describes the generic form of any phrase. Wh movement is grammatical as long as the moved wh phrase the head of the movement chain is dominated by the island node, but becomes ungrammatical once that is no longer the case. Another related issue within the scope of the present study is the treatment of double object. By embodying substantive principles of phrase structure, xbar theory should. Accordingly, the syntax trees are written both in simple structures on the left and x bar structures on the right. Yp if we can treat phrase structure universally in terms of this general projection schema, then we may further assume that the child learning a language need not construct this schema as part of its grammar. Xbar theory elevates this to a principle of phrase structure. Verb osv, have long been considered problematic within xbar theory, since they do not. In this paper we will demonstrate that a formalization of its content reveals very. Extending xbar theory to functional categories these rules do not fit xbar theory. Xbar theory is widely regarded as a substantive theory of phrase structure properties in natural languages. Sentences are not simply linear strings of words but are phrases, which are linked together in hierarchical structures.
Although it is more usual to use 2 the idea of making complementizers heads of. Instances of the first type of treatment are bresnan 1970, jackendoff 1977 and gazdar et al. X and xs specifier zp form xp xs maximal projection. That is to say, what im famous for serves as a big noun. Xbar theory forms the basis of syntactic structure in the transformational. The set of rewrite rules used to represen t the language are phrase structure grammar rules.
Determining that format, and avoiding constructionspecific and languagespecific phrase structure rules, was the central research goal of subsequent work. Depending on subcategorization of the head, the phrase may have zero, one, or more complements. An introduction and motivation of xbar theory in syntax. A head x and its complement yp form x if x projects further, otherwise form xp. Xbar theory motivating intermediate projections ling 322 read syntax, ch.
Syntax is the study of phrase and sentence structure. In the xbar rules in 1, youll note that the only obligatory element is the head. Zaenen 1982 a phrase structure account of scandinavian. The features, position, and transparency of complementizers. A syntactic analysis in other types of constructions, syntactic theory has. To overcome these problems, a socalled doubly filled comps lter cf. Needless to say, the structures you build should be consistent with the evidence you gave in part a. In this paper we will demonstrate that a formalization of its content reveals very little substance in its claims. We saw in the last unit how we can use tree diagrams to show these relationships between words, phrases and sentences. In generative grammar, complementizer is sometimes abbreviated as comp, comp, or c.
Xbar theory sought to eliminate phrase structure rules, leaving only the general xbarformat as part of ug. Cp complementizer phrase tp tense phrase vp verb phrase c complementizer t tense v verb imperative constructions in english. Complementizer phrase cp c is the head of cp and is obligatory in all clauses, although sometimes. A complementizer is a conjunction which marks a complement clause. V2 does not occur in embedded clauses, where the c position is filled, but vso word order clearly. Xbar theory was developed in the 1970s to design phrase structures in. Xbar theory, introduced in chomsky 1970, constituted a major step toward explan atory adequacy, dramatically limiting the range of possible phrase structure rules.
In the present instance, the major virtue of xbar theorythe generaliza. Xbar phrase in a language is defined by the following rules. C takes an ipinfl phrase as its complement and heads the maximal projection cp. A stepbystep introduction to the government and binding. The xbar model facilitates a weaker stance or makes. All phrases xps are constructed according to the same principles. Heads can be adjoined to heads, phrases can be adjoined to the intermediate or maximal projection. Comp s iterative application is excluded because of the barlevel change. In linguistics especially generative grammar, complementizer or complementiser glossing abbreviation. A word that introduces a clause, especially a subordinate clause, such as the word that in i believe that they have eaten lunch. Parsing complementizer phrases in machine translation.
Xbar theory replaces these separate and variable structures for np, vp, and all the rest, with a single structure. Using the grammar tool in xbar ch4, build structures for the sentences in 1. It can be considered to be the result transformation of the sentence im famous for what by a process called wh movement where by what moves to the front the entire clause is nominalized. Motivate your attachment of the lowest argument or adjunct in. Most introduction classes do not discuss x bar theory. The x theory says that in a phrase of the form xp, where x is n, v, a, p, all xs have. Syntax xbar theory specifiers, adjuncts, and complements. In early minimalism, xbar theory was still given, with specific stipulated. Dnpp the book p np of n pp poems pnp with d adjp the n adj cover blue adjp adj big n. The problem is that if the subjunctive formal features of tense phrase t, noun phrase d, verb phrase p and complementizer c and the informal features of the nominative case, theta. The principles of xbar theory will be part of universal grammar, they are innate. Xbar theory, but still allows us to generate grammatical imperatives. Towards a semantics of xbar theory semantic scholar. Specifiers, not heads, determine phrase and clause type.
Complementizers and finite verbs in german sentence structure 1. As with most explanatory advances, the resulting theory encounters serious descriptive problems. A summary 185 ideas introduced in this chapter 186 further reading 187 general problem sets 188 challenge problem sets 192 7 extending xbar theory to functional categories 195 0. Xbar theory all phrases in natural language are built according to the following schema. Correlation between attachment site of modifiers and their scope english alleged baron vs. Specifiers, not heads, determine phrase and clause type jerry t. To reanalyze the structure of the sentence in xbar terms, its head, complement, and specifier must be determined. The xbar analysis in gb theory for phrases is shown in.
This rule states that an adjunct can be adjoined to the head, the intermediate projection or the maximal projection. We state and discuss six conditions that encapsulate the claims of xbar theory. One might just as well abandon xbar theory, but they dont they keep it with less. For phrase structures the symmetrical xbar analysis is adopted in gb theory 3. Xbar parameters these two word orders work nicely with xbar theory as it stands. The words that, if, and to are the most popularly utilized complementizers in the english language, though the list of complementizers is quite a bit more extensive. Introduction this course is a study of ica, which is a method of sentence analysis first founded by leonard bloomfield and developed further by rulon wells. Terms in this set 18 determiner phrase dp d is not in the specifier of np.
I cant even remember what im famous for contains two clauses. For some speakers, relative clause that has developed from a complementizer into a relative pronoun. Analysis, phrase structure grammar and xbar syntax theory prof moubtassime mohammed s6 linguistics stream 1. Formal description of arabic syntactic structure in the. Every phrase xp has a head x that its built around 2. I introduce xbar theory, specifiers, adjuncts, and complements, as well as many example phrases to show you how the structures are built. They are projections of a head of some syntactic category v, n, a, p, adv, d, infl, comp, and so have an endocentric structure, in which the head is of the same category as the phrase ii. Lingjapn 563 structure of japanese spring 2019 syntax. It is the basis of xbar theory and dependency grammar and a key notion. First find the head, which determines the type of phrase, then look for specifiers, complements, adjuncts, and conjunctions.
Prof caroline heycock looks at movement, the vpinternal subject hypothesis and adjunction. In the xbar theory of chomskyan syntax, the term complementizer often abbreviated as comp or c is used to denote a functional category that can be lexically instantiated by complementizers and other subordinators, and that can serves as a landing site for all sorts of movement operations. Xbar theory and the analysis of english infinitivals jstor. For example, the word that may be called a complementizer in english sentences like mary believes that it is raining. Each lexical category x, which may be noun, verb, adjective, or preposition, is the head or basic word of an xp or phrase. Embedded complementizer phrase subjunctive and features. What is a complementizer sil glossary of linguistic terms.
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