Kernel and non-kernel sentences

In transformational grammar, a kernel sentence is a simple

declarative construction with only one verb. A kernel sentence is
always active and affirmative. Also known as a basic sentence. The concept
of the kernel sentence was introduced in 1957 by linguist Z. S. Harris and
featured in the early work of linguist Noam Chomsky. A kernel
sentence does not contain any optional expression and is simple in the
sense that it is unmarked in mood, therefore, it is indicative. It is also
unmarked in voice therefore it is active rather than passive. And, finally, it is
unmarked in polarity therefore it is a positive rather than a negative
sentence. An example of a kernel sentence is 'The man opened the door,'
and an example of a non-kernel sentence is 'The man did not open the
door'. Even a sentence with an adjective, gerund or infinitive is not a kernel
sentence:

(i) This is a black cow is made of two kernel sentences

This is a cow and The cow is black.
(ii) I saw them crossing the river is made of I saw them and They were
crossing the river,
(iii) I want to go is made of I want and I go.

Every sentence of the language will either belong to the kernel or will
be derived from the strings underlying one or more kernel sentences by a
sequence of one or more transformations.
In order to understand a sentence it is necessary to know the kernel
sentences from which it originates (more precisely, the terminal strings
underlying these kernel sentences) and the phrase structure of each of
these elementary components, as well as the transformational history of
development of the given sentence from those kernel sentences.

Non-kernel sentences are derived from kernel sentences by means of

transformational rules. For example, “The workers rejected the ultimatum”
is a kernel sentence that may be transformed into the non-kernel sentences
such as “The ultimatum was rejected by the workers” or “Did the workers
reject the ultimatum?” Each of these may be described as a transform of
the kernel sentence from which it is derived. The transformational
relationship between corresponding active and passive sentences (e.g.,
“The workers rejected the ultimatum” and “The ultimatum was rejected by
the workers”) is conventionally symbolized by the rule N1 V N2 → N2 be V +
en by N1, in which N stands for any noun or noun phrase, V for any
transitive verb, en for the past participle morpheme, and the arrow (→)
instructs one to rewrite the construction to its left as the construction to the
right. This rule may be taken as typical of the whole class of
transformational rules in Harris’s system: it rearranges constituents (what
was the first nominal, or noun, N1, in the kernel sentence is moved to the
end of the transform, and what was the second nominal, N2, in the kernel
sentence is moved to initial position in the transform), and it adds various
elements in specified positions (be, en, and by). Other operations carried
out by transformational rules include the deletion of constituents; e.g., the
entire phrase “by the workers” is removed from the sentence “The
ultimatum was rejected by the workers” by a rule symbolized as N2 be V+
en by N1 → N2 be V+ en. This transforms the construction on the left side of
the arrow (which resulted from the passive transformation) by dropping the
by-phrase, thus producing “The ultimatum was rejected.”