Phrase Structure Rules

1. Phrase structure rules

the grammar contains a set of rules that generate the trees -

phrase structure rules

phrase structure rules that will produce the structure of

The child found the puppy in the garden

S
[The child] [found the puppy in the garden]
NP VP
[The child] [found] [the puppy] [in the garden]
Det N Vt NP PrepP
the puppy Prep NP
Det N in the garden
Det N

1. S  NP VP
2. VP  Vt NP PrepP
3. NP  Det N
4. PrepP  Prep NP

these rules describe all the steps in the generation of the phrase structure tree:

1. Begin with rule 1

create the node S
one line below it, create the nodes NP and VP
connect the NP and VP nodes to S

2. Then apply rule 2

one line below VP, create three nodes VT, NP, and PrepP
connect each of them to VP

3. Continue with rule 3

one line below PrepP create a node Prep and its object NP node
connect the NP node to PrepP

4. Finally, apply rule 4

1
 now, below each NP, create two nodes, Det and N
connect each Det and each N to the NP node that immediately dominates it

2. Increasing the generative power of phrase structure rules

the generative capacity of phrase structure rules can be greatly increased

by modifying the phrase structure rules in various natural ways to allow

for the production of other, related phrase structure types adding
additional items

optional Adjective Phrases

o modifying the NP rule to allow for adding an

optional AdjP to rule 2

NP  Det (AdjP) N

the little child

 in principle the number of AdjPs in the NP is unlimited

the chubby red-haired little child

o adding another rule that specifies the structure

of AdjPs

AdjP  Adj

optional Adnominal Prepositional Phrases

adding an optional PrepP to rule 2

NP  Det (AdjP) N (PrepP)

the child in the corner

the puppy with the black spot
the puppy [with the black spot] [over his left eye]

2
3. Lexical insertion

phrase structure rules generate the phrase structure tree, that is, they define
the nodes of the grammatical constituents

at the next stage, the appropriate lexical items are inserted in nodes

lexical insertion rules

connect the output of the phrase structure rules – the phrase structure tree - to the
lexicon
provide potential lexical items to occupy the nodes labeled by the parts of speech

N: child, puppy, garden

Det: the
Vt: find
Prep: in

assure that the cooccurrence restrictions applying to lexical items are respected,
restrictions such as the following

 the verb "find" ordinarily requires subjects that are animate

 the adjective "pregnant" is ordinarily applied to animate females