Syntactic Classes and Syntactic Functions

The syntactic class of a unit or constituent is determined by the

grammatical properties that it shares with other forms. Word
classes largely correspond to traditional parts of speech (e.g.
noun, verb, preposition, etc.), while the syntactic function is the
grammatical role of a unit such as subject, object.

The tree diagram below shows how we can assign a syntactic

class and function to every constituent of a sentence, with the
function label presented first, followed by the class label, and
the two labels separated by a colon.

Some people and old Australian stamps belong to the class of

noun phrases (NPs), with the noun people and stamps as the
‘head’. Some people perform the function of subject and old
Australian stamps perform the function of the object.
The topmost unit, the clause, has no function assigned to it
because it is not a constituent here, not part of any larger
grammatical unit.

Another way to analyse the sentence which is less complex.

An alternative method of tree diagram is ‘labelled bracketing’.

The main features of this method are:
• clauses are enclosed in square brackets [ ]
• phrases are enclosed in round brackets ( )
• function labels are represented as superscripts placed before
brackets and individual constituents
• class labels are represented as subscripts placed before
brackets and individual constituents.
Labelled bracketing analysis

Glossary
Determinative (Dv) Part of speech with the function of determiner in noun phrase structure
(e.g. a, the, that, both, three).
Determiner (Dr) A pre-head dependent in a noun phrase may be either a determiner or a
modifier (e.g. in the tallest building, the functions as a determiner and tallest as a modifier).
Adjunct (A) An element of the clause, which, unlike subject, predicator, object
and predicative complement, is readily omissible. Adjuncts characteristically
express ‘circumstantial’ meanings such as time, place and manner (e.g. when it rains in
Liverpool, happily).
Head (H) The central word in a phrase, which determines its classification (nouns head noun phrases, verbs head
verb phrases, etc.), and which may be accompanied by one or more dependents (e.g. a sight to see; was writing;
very honest)
Modifier (M) A function served by dependents in phrases (e.g. taller than him, a letter from London). Pre-head
modifiers occur before the head, and post-head modifiers occur after the head.
Preposition (Prep) Part of speech that functions as relator in a prepositional phrase (e.g. under, at, with).
Prepositional phrase (PP) A type of relator-axis phrase in which a preposition serves as the relator (e.g. over the
moon, before noon)
Rel. Relator-axis construction A phrase or clause whose relator serves to relate the other constituent – the ‘axis’
– to the larger construction (e.g. under the mat; when the taxi arrives). Contrasts with head-dependent construction.

Pn: pronoun. A type of noun used for anaphora or deixis (e.g. he, it, we, this,
which). Not compatible with an article (e.g. *a she).
Mv main verb
Od: direct object
Oi: indirect object
A superscript or subscript is a number, figure, symbol, or indicator that is smaller than the
normal line and is set slightly above it (superscript) or below it (subscript).