Syntax: The

Sentence
Pattern of
Language
Dr. Stephen P. Soliguen 1
Observe:
The kindhearted boy had many girlfriends.
The kindhearted boy, intelligent boy had many
girlfriend.
The kindhearted boy, intelligent, handsome
boy had many girlfriends.
John found a book in the library.
John found a book in the library in the stacks.
John found a book in the library in the stacks
on the fourth floor.
The cat chased the mouse.
The cat chased the mouse that ate the cheese.
The cat chased the mouse that ate the cheese
that came from the cow. Dr. Stephen P. Soliguen
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Have you noticed that:
1. Any speaker of any human language
can produce and understand an infinite
number of sentences.
2. The speaker could continue creating
sentences by adding another
adjective, prepositional phrase, relative
clause
3. Sentences are composed of discrete
units that are combined by rules

Dr. Stephen P. Soliguen 3

Syntax – speaker’s knowledge of sentences and
their structures.
Rules of Syntax
A. Specify the correct word order for a language
(English)
Observe and make a comment:
1. The President nominated a new Supreme Court
justice.
2. President the new Supreme justice Court a
nominated.
B. Describe the relationship between the meaning
of a particular group of words and arrangement of
those words.
Observe and make a comment:
3. I mean what I say
Dr. Stephen P. Soliguen 4
4. I say what I mean.
C. Specify the grammatical relations of a
sentence. This information is crucial to
understanding the meaning of a sentence.
Observe and comment:
5. Your dog chased my cat.
6. My cat chased your dog.
D. Syntactic rules also specify other
constrains that sentences must adhere to.
Observe and comment:
(a) The boy found.
(b) The boy found quickly.
(c) The boy found in the house.
(d) The boy found the ball
Dr. Stephen P. Soliguen 5
Observe and comment:
(a) Jack believes Roberto to be a gentleman.
(b) Jack believes to be a gentleman.
(c) Jack tries Roberto to be a gentleman.
(d) Jack tries to be a gentleman.
(e) Jack wants to be a gentleman.
(f) Jack wants Roberto to be a gentleman.
E. All native speakers have the same
judgments about the sentences in 9a, d, e, and
f are grammatical and 9b, c are
ungrammatical.

Dr. Stephen P. Soliguen 6

Observe and comment:
The captain ordered all old men and
women off the sinking ship.

Dr. Stephen P. Soliguen 7

2 Meanings:

old men and women

old man and women

Dr. Stephen P. Soliguen 8

A. Adjective B. Adjective

un adjective verb able

verb able un verb

lock lock

Dr. Stephen P. Soliguen 9

Analyze the following sentences
1. The city council objected when the mayor
changed his mind.
2. Our work on the planning committee
includes all kinds of new ideas and
concepts.
3. The librarian took from her desk a new
edition of one of the classics.
4. I was unable that I could be a judge because
my wife entered the pie contest.
5. We could be good friends.
6. We are good friends.
Dr. Stephen P. Soliguen 10
5. The child found a puppy.
6. The trumpeter annoyed the guests.
7. Michael cried.
8. The happy left quickly.
9. Hyden brought a dog into the clinics.
10. The magician put the card on the table.
11. Tiffany saw the man with the mustache.
12. The puppy played in the garden.
13. The professor said that the student
passed the exam.
14. The children hope that the teacher knew
that the principal said that the school
closes for the day. Dr. Stephen P. Soliguen
11
Thank you!

Dr. Stephen P. Soliguen

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