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to syntax according
to Generative
Grammar Theories
Xavier Fras Conde
ROMANIA MINOR
Aula Prima 2
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http://www.romaniaminor.net
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ISSN: 1616-413X
Equipo editorial
Director academico: Francisco-Xavier Fras Conde
Director tecnico: Francesc Gonzalez i Planas
1 An Introduction to Semantics 5
1.1 Generative Grammar (GG) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5
1.2 Before syntax, there is semantics . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5
1.3 A theory of semantics based on predicates and valen-
cies . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6
1.4 Kinds of predicates according to the number of valencies
they need . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6
1.5 How to represent Predicate Frames (PF) . . . . . . . . . . 7
1.6 Compulsory and adjunct valencies . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8
5 The vp-shell 29
5.1 What is the vp-shell . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 29
5.2 The vp-shell and the Indirect Object . . . . . . . . . . . . 30
5.3 A frequency adverb: double specifier . . . . . . . . . . . . 31
5.4 The passive voice . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 32
5.5 An ergative sentence . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 34
6 Completive Clauses 35
6.1 Complementiser Phrase . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 35
6.2 Completive clause . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 35
6.3 A to-clause . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 36
6.4 Clauses with -ing . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 37
6.5 A That-clause . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 38
6.6 An attached clause: conditional clause . . . . . . . . . . . 39
6.7 Object rise . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 40
6.8 Clauses with for . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 41
6.9 An attached clause: conditional clause . . . . . . . . . . . 43
7 Relative Clauses 45
7.1 What a relative clause is . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 45
7.2 Relative pronoun as an object . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 46
7.3 Relative pronoun as a subject . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 47
7.4 Relative pronoun within the object . . . . . . . . . . . . . 48
7.5 More questions concerning relative pronouns . . . . . . . . 48
Chapter 1
An Introduction to
Semantics
Along these notes, we will study the main elements of this the-
ory applied to English and, occasionally, to some other languages,
mainly Romance ones.
Semantics is the base from which all the rest of disciplines develop.
Words (i.e., the recipients of meaning) are the first items children
acquire.
5
6 An Introduction to Syntax According to GG Theories
It is raining
PF
(X) P
(Y) (Z)
Codes
The first valency, or outer one, is the
X first valency
one that triggers events, actions or
Y second valency
processes. It is usually identified with the
Z third valency
syntactic subject.
sb somebody
something It refers to the semantic nature of the va-
sth
swh somewhere
lency: person, thing, place, manner...
swy someway
Exemples
Open :< xsb >< ysth >
< Johnx > opened < the doory >
PF
xsb open
ysth
PF
xsb watch
ysb/sth
PF
xsb/sth arrive
< The bookssth > didnt arrive < at the libraryswh >
PF
xsb arrive
yswh
1. Predicates
2. Actants
3. Satellites
Predicates are always the starting point for any syntactic analysis
or parsing, since they.
10 An Introduction to Syntax According to GG Theories
Chapter 2
The Fundamentals of
Syntax
Verbs (V)
Prepositions (P)
Nouns (N)
Adjectives (A)
Lets take the example of a verb phrase. It also has two other
attached elements depending on it. One is the subject and the
other one is the object.
VP
NP V
John
V ZP
V NP
has doubts
The first NP is embedded at the beginning of the tree, then there is a certain
ZP which represent an Adverbial, now not included. At bottom, there is the
verb and another NP, the object.
It seems evident that the verb is the head of all this structure. All the rest of
elements depend on it.
Xavier Fras Conde 13
If you compare this syntactic structure with a predicate frame, the similitude
is enormous.
YP X
specifier
X ZP
adjunct
X YP
head complement
Time
Person (said Agreement, for example, between the predicate
and the subject)
14 An Introduction to Syntax According to GG Theories
Aspect
Perfective (a completed action)
Imperfective (an uncompleted or unfinished action)
Voice
Active
Passive
Medial
Etc.
A verb needs rise from V to I to take inflection:1
IP
I VP
-ed NP V
John V
yawn-
NP2 I
John I VP
V1 I t2 V
yawn- -ed t1
Observe also how in English, as well as in many other languages, the subject
compulsory follows the verb in this movement upwards (called a-movement in
GG. The movement of the items is expressed by means of subindexes.
NP2 I
Piero I VP
V1 I t2 V
cant- -o t1
NP2 I
Pavel I VP
V1 I t2 V
stud - -uje t1
16 An Introduction to Syntax According to GG Theories
Chapter 3
Eg.:
Some languages have special endings for cases and some others
dont.
17
18 An Introduction to Syntax According to GG Theories
All Romance languages and English (except for the so-called Saxon
Genitive) lack declension endings (except for personal pronouns).
Latin, German and Czech (as well as most Slav languages) do have
endings to mark the case of adjectives and nouns.
SD DP
D NP D NP
NP N The N PP
Johns N
number of students
car
Chapter 4
21
22 An Introduction to Syntax According to GG Theories
DP1 I
did t1 Neg
Neg VP
not
t1 V
V DP
understand a word
The movement of the subject is always a rising one in English. Observe how it
moves jumping through all the specifier nodes until reaches the top position.
NegP
DP2 Neg
Piero Neg IP
non t2 I
I1 VP
ha t2 V
V NP
t1 lavoro
NegP
DP2 Neg
Petr Neg1 IP
nema t2 I
I1 VP
t1 t2 V
V NP
t1 praci
NegP
DP2 Neg
Pedro
Neg1 IP
no tiene t2 I
I1 VP
t1 t2 V
V NP
t1 trabajo
IntP
Int
Int IP
Did I
I VP
t
you buy any bread
Xavier Fras Conde 25
IntP
NP2 Int
Where Int1 IP
do I
I VP
t1 NP V
you V t2
live
FocP
DP3 Foc
NP2 I
you I1 VP
ate t2 V
V t3
t1
FocP
DP2 Foc
I ragazzi
Foc IP
pro1 I
I VP
abbiamo
t1 V
V t2
aspettati
TopP
DP3 Top
Yesterday
Top IP
NP2 I
we
I1 VP
worked t2 V
V t3
t1
Instead, topics are added elements that can be dropped without affect-
ing the correcteness of the sentence. They usually refer to time, place,
manner and other semantic items.
28 An Introduction to Syntax According to GG Theories
Chapter 5
The vp-shell
PF IP
Xsb give I
I vp
Ysth Zto sb
v
v VP
29
30 An Introduction to Syntax According to GG Theories
IP
I vp
NP v
subject
v VP
NP V
direct object
V PP
indirect object
t
IP
NP2 I
I
I1 vp
gave t2 v
v VP
t1
NP V
a book V PP
t1 to John
Xavier Fras Conde 31
It is, however, quite usual that Od and Oi are placed in different order
in English: I gave John a book. This change may also be represented by
means of vp.
IP
NP2 I
I
I1 vp
gave
t2 v
v VP
v NP3 NP V
t1 John a book V t3
t1
NP2 I
I
I vp
have
t2 vp
ADV v
already
v1 VP
put
DP V
the books V PP
t1 on the shelf
32 An Introduction to Syntax According to GG Theories
Anyway, the double specifier could be in IP, namely when the verb
is simple.
IP
NP2 IP
I
ADV I
already
I1 vp
put
t2 v
v VP
t1
DP V
the books V PP
t1 on the self
IP
DP2 I
The papers
I1 vp
were t2 v
v VP
t1
t2 V
V t2
sold out
IP
DP2 I
The children I3 vp 1
were t2 v 1
v vp 2
t3
t2 v 2
v VP
given
DP V
a present t1 t2
34 An Introduction to Syntax According to GG Theories
S V
In this way, the agent of the process disappears: The torpedo sank the
ship The ship 1 sank t1 .
IP
DP2 I
The ship
I1 vp
sank t2 v
v VP
t1 t2 V
V t2
t1
DP2 I
El barco
I1 vp
se hundio t2 v
v1 VP
t1 t2 V
V t2
t1
Chapter 6
Completive Clauses
That, in which case the clause behaves: Mark hopes (that) youll
be successful.
6.3 A to-clause
Infinitive clauses in English must take to in most cases. Here the verb
doesnt rise (theres no -movement). PRO stands for an absent subject,
which can never be overt (=explicit), but it coincides to be the same as
in the main clause.
A pro is instead an covert subject, which can be overt at any mo-
ment. In Romance languages or Czech this is quite usual.
IP
NP2 I
I
I1 VP
hope t2 V
V CP
t1
C IP
<e>
I VP
to PRO V
V AP
be successful
Xavier Fras Conde 37
IP
NP2 I
I
I1 VP
like
t2 V
V CP
t1
C IP
<e>
I VP
<e>
PRO V
V AP
playing golf
38 An Introduction to Syntax According to GG Theories
6.5 A That-clause
In this case, the that-clause behaves exactly as a simple clause, suffering
all the -movements.
IP
NP2 I
I
I1 VP
hope
t2 V
V CP
t1
C IP
that
NP3 I
you I VP
will t3 V
V AP
be successful
Xavier Fras Conde 39
TopP
CP Top
C IP
Top IP
If you are hungry
NP1 I
you
I VP
can t1 V
V NP
eat anything
40 An Introduction to Syntax According to GG Theories
IP
NP2 I
We
I1 vp
want
t2 v
v VP
t1
NP3 V
her
V
Clause border
t1
CP
C IP
<e> t3 I
I VP
to t3 V
study
Xavier Fras Conde 41
IP
NP2 I
We
I1 VP
bought
t2 V
V PP
V DP
P CP
t1 the book
P NP3 C IP
for her to t3 I
I VP
<e> t3 V
study
42 An Introduction to Syntax According to GG Theories
Final clauses in Portuguese work exactly the same, with the excep-
tion that the subject remains in nominative because theres no rise to
the preposition node.
IP
pro2 I
I1 VP
compramos
t2 V
V PP
V DP
P CP
t1 o livro
P NP3 C IP
para ela
t3 I
I VP
<e> t3 V
estudar
Xavier Fras Conde 43
TopP
CP Top
C IP Top IP
If you are hungry NP1 I
you
I VP
can t1 V
V NP
eat anything
44 An Introduction to Syntax According to GG Theories
Chapter 7
Relative Clauses
<e> C
C IP
CP
NP C
C IP
<e>
IP
DP I
I1 VP
D NP
is t2 V
The
N2 CP
V AP
book
DP5 C t1 very interesting
that
C IP
<e>
DP4 i
you
I3 VP
bought
t4 V
V t5
t3
Xavier Fras Conde 47
DP I
I1 VP
D NP
is t2 V
The
N2 CP
V AP
man
DP 4 C t1 very funny
who
C IP
<e>
I3 VP
jumped t4 V
V PP
IP
DP2 I
I
I1 VP
knew
t2 V
t1 DP
D NP
the
N CP
man
DP4 C
who
C IP
I3 VP
smiled t4 V
t3
French, 19, 22
German, 18, 19
Iberian languages, 23
Italian, 15, 22, 26
Latin, 18, 19
Occitan, 22
Portuguese, 22, 42
Slav languages, 18
Spanish, 11, 22
49