LIN2011 Syntax

Are syntax and semantics independent?

In some ways, yes. In others, no. The order of verbs, objects, and subjects can influence meaning, but sentences don't have to be syntactically perfect to be intelligible. Similarly, unintelligible phrases can be syntactically perfect.

Are syntax and semantics independent? (continued)

Additionally, different languages have different syntactic properties, and thus meaning can be expressed in different ways across languages.

Word Order

A syntactic property that describes the order of the subject, verb, and object. It also affects other expressions, like adjectives, prepositions/postpositions, etc. They're not fixed, and can change based on context.

Co-occurrence

A syntactic property where different expressions allow/require other expressions to co-occur with them. Features include arguments, adjuncts, and agreement.

Argument

An expression that has to occur with another. And example is a verb, which needs a subject. Also direct and indirect objects.

Complements

All non-subject arguments. Different expressions have varying complement requirements.

Adjuncts

An expression whose occurrence in a sentence is optional.

Agreement

Restrictions on the morphological form of an argument.

Syntactic Constituent

Group of words that function as a unit within a sentence.

Question/Stand Alone Test

A way to determine if a group of words within a sentence are constituents. Ask, "Does this group of words stand alone, potentially, as an answer to a question?"

Clefting/Movement Test

Constituents can be moved to create a cleft sentence.

Pro-Form Substitution Test

Can substitute a group of words with pronoun.

Right-node raising

Subject and its verb behave like a constituent. NOT a constituent, however.

Non-constituent Coordination

Conjunctions combining two similar non-constituents.

Continuation

Something missing from the middle of a constituent.

Syntactic non-constituents

Non constituents that often occur in daily language, and aren't considered ill-formed.

Syntactic Components

Phrase Structure Rules

The rules speakers follow to combine expressions into larger ones. Notated with "S --> NP VP" or phrase structure trees.

Noun Phrases

Include proper nouns, pronouns, mass nouns, and determiner + count noun. Can have adjuncts like adjectives and prepositional phrases.

Verb Phrases

Need to distinguish between different types of verbs; intransitive verbs (no complements), transitive verbs (1 NP complements), ditransitive verbs (2 NP complements), sentential complement verbs (1 S complement).

Prepositional Phrases

Consists of preposition and the noun phrase.

Sentences

Consists of noun phrase(s) and verb phrase(s).

Ambiguity

Phrase structure rules help to figure out sentence ambiguity.