Transformational Generative Grammar

DEEP STRUCTURE

Presented to Ma’am Sana Waqas

Presented by Shafqat Hussain

17127

6th C
 Transformational Generative Grammar

DEEP STRUCTURE

1. Surface Structure and Deep Structure

These are basically two concepts use in linguistics specifically in the study of syntax in the
Chomskian linguistic way.

 Semantic and Syntactic representatives of a sentence, from which the surface structure
can be derived is known as Deep Structure.

Deep Structure represents meaning

 Surface structure is the actual sentence we see.

 This concept was popularized in 1900 and 70 by American linguistic scholar Chomsky.

 Surface Structure is structural representation.

 Deep Structure gives several other structures.

(i) He writes a letter.

(ii) A letter is written by him.

 Chomsky says these two are distinct surface forms that are derived from a deep structure.
 Syntactically Chomsky says because every sentence in a mind is an invisible, inaudible
deep structure.
 Deep structure is converted by transformational rules.
 2. Palmer:

Transformation: Misleading

 All transformation of a sentence are misleading. For two reason;

First, even declarative, the internal structure, may have to undergo transformations because
they cannot be entirely generated by PS rules.

Example,

 The man has been reading a book.

There are three grammatical characteristics.

(1) Present Tense (2) Perfect Phase (3)Progressive aspect

Auxiliary Verb: PS grammar;

(Aux; Tense, Aspect, Phase)

 the past tense

 The perfect
 The progressive
 Treating them all as auxiliaries.

Chomsky:

 Treat these as obligatory.

 Every phase; present or past.
 And the rest as optional.
 Does not refer to their grammatical label.

The PS rules will generate then:

The man s have + en + ing read the book.

Apply transformational rule:

“Affix. Hopping”
 To position then;

Have + s = has

Be + en = been

Read + ing = reading

3. Morphophonemic rule

To convert have + s into has

Have + s = has

Chomsky PS rule also introduced optional needed verbs:

Aux = Tense (Made) (have +en) (Be + ing)

Affix happening and Morphophonemic:

May have been reading the book.

4. Passive Voice

Second, if generating passive sentence transformation; the movement of NP and change in the
form of the verb

Example,

The man has read the book.

The book has been read by the man.

1. Active is PS structure of active sentence

(i) The man have + en read the book
2. NPs have been moved, by introduced and be + en ended.
3. Effect of affix hoping and morphophonemic rules.
Rule;

Passive; not only active sentence

Passive; PS structure.

5. Aspects of Theory of Syntax

 The above theory says there Deeper structure than this.

 The passive structure can be introduced as an optical element with by pass

The man has read the book by pass.

(Be + en, Place NP at the end in place of pass itself)

6. Agentless passive:

Some passive structures in surface structure do not have their agent. Such structures in
deep structure are given a symbolic agent.

Example:

 Killed the man

 Someone killed the man.

This triangle in deep structure represents someone.

 Such structures need dummy subjects to make their passive structure in deep
structure.

Past word will be used on the place of main verb if it is in past tense.
  Deep structures contain abstract elements such as (past, Q, pass etc.) and these
elements should be deleted by transformational rules in order to convert these
sentences in to surface structure.

7. Interrogative Sentence

Sentences which are formed to ask a question have also a deep structure. Their deep structure is
denoted by the letter Q in the deep structure. And the place of subject and auxiliary verb is also
reversed and question mark is omitted.

For example,

 Can you go?

 Q you can go.

Note: Sometimes there also occurs the insertion of Do.

Thus, Can you go? is actually derived from Q you can go.

8. Wh Questions

How, what, where, when, where etc.

 We need transformations not only to transpose the subject of auxiliary verb but in many
cases to move NP containing Wh words to intial position.

Example,

 What did you buy? (Surface Structure)

 You past buy what. (Deep Structure)

Note: past is used because the surface structure is in past tense.

 9. Indirect Question
 There is no transposition with indirect question.
 There is also no transposition of yes/no question.
 Deletion can only take place where there is Wh movement.

10. EQui-NP Deletion

It is a rule to delete second noun phrase in a surface structure sentence.

Example,

 Bill wants Bill meet marry.

Here, the second clause starting from Bill is the compliment of verb want.

This is the deep structure.

In its surface structure the second Bill id deleted. Transformational rules delete the Second NP
(Bill) and add to.

 Bill wants meet marry.

Thus, the second Bill is displaced. And this process is known as the EQui-NP Deletion.