武汉理工大学：《英语言学》课程教学资源（PPT课件讲稿，英文版）Chapter four Syntax

Syntax

Syntax

Chapter Four Syntax 1. What is syntax? Syntax is the study of the rules governing the way words are combined to form sentences in a language. Simply speaking, it is the study of the formation of sentences. There are different approaches to syntax in the linguistic field

Chapter Four Syntax 1. What is syntax? Syntax is the study of the rules governing the way words are combined to form sentences in a language. Simply speaking, it is the study of the formation of sentences. There are different approaches to syntax in the linguistic field

2. The traditional approach The traditional approach views a sentence as a sequence of words. The study of sentence formation thus involves the study of the parts of speech and grammatical functions of words, and other categories such as number, gender, case, tense, aspect, voice, concord and government. Read the textbook, and you can get a better understanding of the grammatical knowledge of English that you have already known. Particularly, pay attention to how linguists distinguish time from tense (P117)

2. The traditional approach • The traditional approach views a sentence as a sequence of words. The study of sentence formation thus involves the study of the parts of speech and grammatical functions of words, and other categories such as number, gender, case, tense, aspect, voice, concord and government. • Read the textbook, and you can get a better understanding of the grammatical knowledge of English that you have already known. Particularly, pay attention to how linguists distinguish time from tense (P117)

3.The structural approach This approach was started by the Swiss linguist Ferdinand de saussure, the father of modern linguistics. in the ginning of the 20th century. all the linguistic theories after Saussure are structural in that they all regard linguistic units as interrelated with each other in a structure(or system), not as isolated bits. only one of Saussures main idea and the American structuralist model of sentence analysis are talked about here

3.The structural approach This approach was started by the Swiss linguist Ferdinand de Saussure, the father of modern linguistics, in the beginning of the 20th century. All the linguistic theories after Saussure are structural in that they all regard linguistic units as interrelated with each other in a structure (or system), not as isolated bits. Only one of Saussure’s main idea and the American structuralist model of sentence analysis are talked about here

3.1 Syntagmatic vs Paradigmatic Relations(P120-22) 3.1.1 Defining the two relations In Saussure's view language is a system of signs ( i.e. words), and the value of each individual sign must be explained from its relations to others, or its position in the system. The two principle types of relations which Saussure identified are syntagmatic and paradigmatic relations

3.1 Syntagmatic vs. Paradigmatic Relations (P120-22) 3.1.1 Defining the two relations • In Saussure’s view, language is a system of signs (i.e. words), and the value of each individual sign must be explained from its relations to others, or its position in the system. The two principle types of relations which Saussure identified are syntagmatic and paradigmatic relations

Term Definition · The syntagmatic relation(组合关系, nowadays also referred to as the horizontal relation or the chain relation is the relation between one item ant others in a linear sequence, or between elements which are all present The paradigmatic relation(聚合关系), nowadays also referred to as the vertical relation or the choice relation, is a relation holding between elements replaceable with each other at a particular place in a structure, or between one element present and the others absent

Term Definition • The syntagmatic relation (组合关系), nowadays also referred to as the horizontal relation or the chain relation, is the relation between one item ant others in a linear sequence, or between elements which are all present. • The paradigmatic relation (聚合关系), nowadays also referred to as the vertical relation or the choice relation, is a relation holding between elements replaceable with each other at a particular place in a structure, or between one element present and the others absent

The sequence which a sign forms with others with which it is in a syntagmatic relation, is called a structure by some linguists. The class of signs which are in a paradigmatic relation are referred to as a system by some linguists

• The sequence which a sign forms with others, with which it is in a syntagmatic relation, is called a structure by some linguists. • The class of signs which are in a paradigmatic relation are referred to as a system by some linguists

3.2 Immediate constituent analysis(P122-29) 3.2.1 What is immediate constituent analysis Immediate constituent analysis, often shortened as IC analysis, is an approach to the analysis of sentence structures. The following notions are essential to the full understanding of it

3.2 Immediate constituent analysis (P122-29) 3.2.1 What is immediate constituent analysis? Immediate constituent analysis, often shortened as IC Analysis, is an approach to the analysis of sentence structures. The following notions are essential to the full understanding of it

3.2 Immediate constituent analysis(P122-29) 3.2.1.1 Constituent The component elements of a construction ie a linguistic form or group of linguistic forms, are called its constituents. For example, John's mother, left, yesterday, John' s mother, and left yesterday are all constituents of the sentence John's mother left yesterday

3.2 Immediate constituent analysis (P122-29) 3.2.1.1 Constituent The component elements of a construction, i.e. a linguistic form or group of linguistic forms, are called its constituents. For example, John’s, mother, left, yesterday, John’s mother, and left yesterday are all constituents of the sentence John’s mother left yesterday

3.2.1.2 Binary cutting In analyzing a construction, a commo practice is to cut it into two parts and then cut each of the two parts into two and continue with this segmentation until we reach the smallest grammatical unit, the morpheme. This practice is calle ed binary cutting. Illustration with a tree diagram, see 123,125

3.2.1.2 Binary cutting In analyzing a construction, a common practice is to cut it into two parts and then cut each of the two parts into two and continue with this segmentation until we reach the smallest grammatical unit, the morpheme. This practice is called binary cutting. （ Illustration with a tree diagram, see P123, 125）