Phrase structure

Parts of a phrase

Heads and modifiers

Heads

Encode core meaning

Modifiers

Add extra meaning or grammatical info

Heads cannot be…

Omitted from a phrase

Phrases can be replaced by…

A pro- form

Example of a pro-form replacing a phrase

She put it under the table.

She put it there.

I saw tiny Tom.

I saw him.

Phrases receive the grammatical category of…

Their head

Constituents

Syntactic units in a sentence

Constituents in:

Elizabeth saw the potato in the bathtub.

Elizabeth saw [the potato] [in the bathtub].

Elizabeth saw [the potato in the bathtub].

Tests for constituency

1. Substitution by pro- form

2. Movement

3. Fragment answers

4. Clefting

Substitution by pro- form

Replace the phrase with a pro- form with the same meaning

Example substitution by pro-form

My neighbour knows [that tall guy from Lima].

My neighbour knows [him].

She loves [having her nails done].

She [does].

Movement test for constituency

Some constituents can be moved to the front of a sentence

Movement constituent test example

Pictures, the Queen takes in the bath.

*Pictures in the bathtub, the Queen takes.

Clefting constituency test

It is…, that/ who…

Clefting constituency test example

It is the Queen, who takes pictures in the bath.

*It is the Queen takes that pictures in the bath.

Constituency test fragment answers

Constituents stand alone in response to a question

Fragment answers constituency test

Two huge boats enter the harbour at night.

What did you see? Two huge boats