Simple sentences Founda'ons)of)Language)Science) and)Technology) John swims well. (Subject, Verb, Adverb) WS)2014/2015) John saw Mary. (Subject, Verb, Direct Object) " Syntax Bush became President. (Subject, Verb, Subject- Complement) John gave Mary a mink coat. (Subject, Verb, Indirect Dr. Heiner Drenhaus Object, Direct Object) drenhaus@coli.uni-sb.de Slides are based on: The country elected Bush President. (Subject, Verb, Direct An Introduction to Language, Object, Object Complement) Ninth Edition Victoria Fromkin, V., Robert Rodman, R. and Hyams, N. (2011) An Introduction to Language. And more ! 2" FLST: Linguistics Foundation FLST: Linguistics Foundation 1" Speakers of any human language can produce Syntax? and understand an infinite number of sentences The cat chased the mouse. The cat chased the mouse that ate the cheese. “The part of grammar that represents a speaker’s knowledge of sentences and their structures is The cat chased the mouse that ate the cheese called syntax.” that came from the cow. The cat chased the mouse that ate the cheese that came from the cow that grazed in the field. 3" 4" FLST: Linguistics Foundation FLST: Linguistics Foundation
Rules of syntax " Combine words into phrases and phrases into sentences " English: Subject Verb Object language (SVO) The old man drove the new car. *Old man the new the car drove. … , because the old man drove the new car. * … , because old man the new the car drove. 5" 6" FLST: Linguistics Foundation FLST: Linguistics Foundation Rules of syntax Syntax and relations " Combine words into phrases and phrases into " Syntax describes the relationship between sentences the meaning of words (groups) and the order " German: Subject Object Verb language (SOV) of those words. " Same words in a sentence but different Der alte Mann fuhr das neue Auto. (The old man drove the new car.) meaning. *Alte der Mann das Auto neue fuhr . I mean what I say. I say what I mean. … , weil der alte Mann das Auto fuhr. * … , weil alte der Mann fuhr neue das Auto. 7" 8" FLST: Linguistics Foundation FLST: Linguistics Foundation
Grammatical relations Syntyctic rules -> constraints-> subcategorizaion *The boy found. *The boy found quickly. " Relation between subject and object *The boy found in the house. " Who is doing what to whom? The boy found the ball. The cat chased the mouse. find -> subcategorization The mouse chased the cat. -> “ subcategorization frame ” Peter kissed Mary 9" 10" FLST: Linguistics Foundation FLST: Linguistics Foundation Syntyctic rules -> constraints Syntyctic rules -> constraints *Mary slept the baby. Mary slept soundly. Zack believes Robert to be a gentleman. *Zack believes to be a gentleman. sleep -> subcategorization *Zack tries Robert to be a gentleman. -> “ subcategorization frame ” Zack tries to be a gentleman. Zack wants to be a gentleman. Zack wants Robert to be a gentleman. Believe, try, want -> subcategorization 11" 12" FLST: Linguistics Foundation FLST: Linguistics Foundation
Similar but different Syntyctic rules -> constraints (a) Jack and Jill ran up the hill. (b) *Jack and Jill ran the hill up. " Native speakers judgement -> similar/ the same " E.g., (c) Up the hill ran Jack and Jill. *Mary slept the baby. Mary slept soundly. (d) Jack and Jill ran up the bill. " Determined by rules shared by all speakers of a (e) Jack and Jill ran the bill up. language (f) *Up the bill ran Jack and Jill. “How can we describe the different judgments?” 13" 14" FLST: Linguistics Foundation FLST: Linguistics Foundation Run up the hill versus run up the bill Run up the hill versus run up the bill " Sentences are not simply strings of words with " up the bill -> unit (He ran [up the bill]) no further organization. " up the hill -> no natural unit " Differences in distribution of " WHY? run up the hill versus run up the bill (c) Up the hill ran Jack and Jill. " Difference in phrase structure (f) *Up the bill ran Jack and Jill. 15" 16" FLST: Linguistics Foundation FLST: Linguistics Foundation
Syntactic knowledge Syntactic knowledge " Rules " Rules " how words form groups in a sentence " how words form groups in a sentence " how words are hierarchically arranged " how words are hierarchically arranged " ambiguities The captain ordered all old men and women off the sinking ship. The captain ordered all old men and women off the sinking ship. " Structure and meaning/ different readings? 17" 18" FLST: Linguistics Foundation FLST: Linguistics Foundation Different structures -> structural ambiguity Different structures -> structural ambiguity " Why are the following sentences funny? For sale: an antique desk suitable for lady with thick legs and large drawers. We will oil your sewing machine and adjust tension in your home for $10.00. 19" 20" FLST: Linguistics Foundation FLST: Linguistics Foundation
Syntactic rules Different structures -> structural ambiguity " Reveal grammatical relation (words of a sentence) " Word order " Hierarchical organization " Grouping of words -> meaning (structural ambiguities) " Creativity of linguistic knowledge 21" 22" FLST: Linguistics Foundation FLST: Linguistics Foundation Speakers of any human language can produce and understand an infinite number of sentences His thoughts tumbled in his head, making and breaking " Chomsky 1959 Review of B. F. Skinner Verbal alliances like underpants in a dryer without Cling Free. Behavior " Central: 'creativity‘ Thank you very much for stepping on my toe because I " Humans are able to produce and understand was afraid I had elephantiasis and now that I can feel it sentences which they have never uttered or hurt I know it isn't so. used before " Humans are able to react to situations even if Her hair glistened in the rain like nose hair after a sneeze. the situation is absolutely new 23" 24" FLST: Linguistics Foundation FLST: Linguistics Foundation
Syntactic knowledge Syntactic knowledge Colorless green ideas sleep furiously. Furiously sleep ideas green colorless. Milk the crumpled verb a. Grammatical? *Furiously sleep ideas green colorless. 25" 26" FLST: Linguistics Foundation FLST: Linguistics Foundation Summary " Grammaticality ≠ the truth of sentences " Grammaticality ≠ whether real objects are being discussed " Grammaticality ≠ whether something is possible in the real world " “Untrue sentences can be grammatical, sentences discussing unicorns can be grammatical, and sentences referring to pregnant fathers can be grammatical.” (p. 123) " Syntactic rules -> produce, understand sentences My nose is crying. " Syntactic rules -> unconscious rules Don't giggle me. " Grammar -> mental grammar I am barefoot all over. " ≠ prescriptive school grammar " Language acquisition and Grammar -> Universal Grammar (UG) !? What the boy hit? Mommy get it my ladder. 27" 28" FLST: Linguistics Foundation FLST: Linguistics Foundation
Children and correction Children and correction Child: Nobody don’t like me. Child: Want another one spoon, Daddy. Parent: You mean, you want the other spoon. Parent: No, say “nobody likes me.” Child: Yes, I want other one spoon, please Daddy. Child: Nobody don’t like me. Parent: Can you say “the other spoon”? ... Child: Other … one … spoon. (Eight repetitions of this dialogue) Parent: Say “other.” Child: Other. … Parent: “Spoon.” Parent: No, now listen carefully; Child: Spoon. say “nobody likes me.” Parent: “Other spoon.” Child: Oh! Nobody don’t likes me. Child: “Other spoon.” Child: “Other … spoon. Now give me other one spoon? (David McNeill, 1970) 29" 30" FLST: Linguistics Foundation FLST: Linguistics Foundation Sentence structure Sentence structure " A template for a sentence The child found a puppy. • Hierarchical structure but not a ‘flat’ structure " Det-N-V-Det-N • Words are grouped – [the child] (subject) " This template says: – [found a puppy] (predicate of the sentence) Or • A determiner is followed by a noun, which is followed by a – [the child] verb … – [[found] [a puppy]] • Describes the following sentences Or The man found the book. – [[the] [child]] [[found] [[a] [puppy]]] The student read a paper. That cook won the competition. • Can be described in a tree structure/ tree diagram The child found a puppy. 31" 32" FLST: Linguistics Foundation FLST: Linguistics Foundation
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