CAS LX 522 Syntax IPreviously, in LX522…Slide 3The surfaceWhere’s the feature?Why is this so confusing?We’re going the wrong wayGenerative grammarJudging sentencesA very, very little bit of FrenchSlide 11What does this have to do with eating lunch?Falling into placeSlide 14Those pesky participlesCrosscategorial featuresSlide 17Slide 18SupercategoriesSlide 20Russian CaseFunctional and lexicalAuxiliary verbs and verbsAuxiliary verbs and I“Grammatical category”Sentences are made of words?Tense is not a wordBill will kick the pailSentences are made of morphemesPossessive ’sCliticsMoral: Underlying ≠ SurfaceThe morphology of beSlide 34Slide 35Slide 36Slide 37Slide 38Slide 39Slide 40Separating the underlying from the pronouncedWeek 3a. Categories, features, Week 3a. Categories, features, natural classes, and morphology.natural classes, and morphology.CAS LX 522CAS LX 522Syntax ISyntax IPreviously, in LX522…Previously, in LX522…So, here’s where we were.So, here’s where we were.We’re trying to characterize our knowledge of We’re trying to characterize our knowledge of syntax, using English speaker’s knowledge of syntax, using English speaker’s knowledge of English as a window to the kinds of things we English as a window to the kinds of things we need to describe language.need to describe language.Words seem to come in categories (N, V, A, P, C, Words seem to come in categories (N, V, A, P, C, I, PRN, D, …). English treats these differently, so I, PRN, D, …). English treats these differently, so to describe English, our theory needs to treat to describe English, our theory needs to treat them differently.them differently.Previously, in LX522…Previously, in LX522…We’ve collected a number of features that We’ve collected a number of features that seem to make a difference in various ways.seem to make a difference in various ways.We have the category, e.g., [+N], [+V].We have the category, e.g., [+N], [+V].But we seem to have subcategories too, But we seem to have subcategories too, e.g., [+Pl], [+Common], [+Count].e.g., [+Pl], [+Common], [+Count].These features These features mattermatter to how we can to how we can combine words. Language cares, and so, combine words. Language cares, and so, therefore, do we.therefore, do we.The surfaceThe surfaceBefore going on, let’s take a detour, Before going on, let’s take a detour, because if we don’t, things are just going because if we don’t, things are just going to get confusing.to get confusing.So far, we have looked at a So far, we have looked at a wordword, and tried , and tried to determine what its relevant features are.to determine what its relevant features are.BooksBooks [+N, +Count, +Common +Pl]. [+N, +Count, +Common +Pl].WrittenWritten [+V, +Participle, +Perfect] [+V, +Participle, +Perfect]Where’s the feature?Where’s the feature?This is useful in that we get a hint as to what This is useful in that we get a hint as to what features are required. But consider:features are required. But consider:Bill ate lunch.Bill ate lunch.Bill will eat lunch.Bill will eat lunch.Bill did not eat lunch.Bill did not eat lunch.Bill does not eat lunch.Bill does not eat lunch.You do not eat lunch.You do not eat lunch.We do not eat lunch.We do not eat lunch.What are the features of What are the features of ateate? ? eateat? ? diddid? ? doesdoes? ? dodo??Why is this so confusing?Why is this so confusing?So, So, dodo seems to be: seems to be:[+Pres], and[+Pres], andnot [+3, +Sg], andnot [+3, +Sg], andonly shows up in the negative.only shows up in the negative.Ouch.Ouch.That’s rather inelegant.That’s rather inelegant.Here’s the problem: Here’s the problem: I sat on the bank. I saw the I sat on the bank. I saw the candidate with the binoculars. Visiting relatives can candidate with the binoculars. Visiting relatives can be tedious.be tedious.See?See?We’re going the wrong wayWe’re going the wrong wayThere are two different There are two different intentsintents underlying underlying Visiting relatives can be tedious (so I do it as Visiting relatives can be tedious (so I do it as little as possible)little as possible), and , and Visiting relatives can be Visiting relatives can be tedious (so I avoid them as often as possible)tedious (so I avoid them as often as possible)..They happen to They happen to soundsound the same, but they the same, but they have a different have a different underlyingunderlying structure. structure.In general, what’s unique is the In general, what’s unique is the underlying intent/structure, underlying intent/structure, notnot the the pronounced form.pronounced form.Generative grammarGenerative grammarThe syntactic system we are going to build is a The syntactic system we are going to build is a generative grammargenerative grammar..It builds up an It builds up an underlyingunderlying structure, which is structure, which is then pronounced.then pronounced.The two versions of The two versions of Visiting relatives can be tediousVisiting relatives can be tedious are are differentdifferent sentences. sentences.……But wasn’t our goal to explain how people But wasn’t our goal to explain how people could tell if sentences they hear are part of their could tell if sentences they hear are part of their language or not?language or not?Judging sentencesJudging sentencesThe view of sentence judgment we’ll The view of sentence judgment we’ll adopt here is basically one of asking adopt here is basically one of asking oneself: oneself: Could I say that sentence?Could I say that sentence?When listening to somebody, you of When listening to somebody, you of course need to decode what that person course need to decode what that person meant, but it is a process of recovering the meant, but it is a process of recovering the underlying formunderlying form of their utterance. of their utterance.A very, very little bit of FrenchA very, very little bit of FrenchIf you’ve tried to learn any French at all, you’ve If you’ve tried to learn any French at all, you’ve come across this phenomenon:come across this phenomenon:dede ‘of’ ‘of’lele ‘the (masculine)’ ‘the (masculine)’àà ‘at’ ‘at’lala ‘the (feminine)’ ‘the (feminine)’à la à la biblioteque biblioteque ‘to the library (fem)’‘to the library
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