Transformational Generative Grammar
DEEP STRUCTURE
Presented to Ma’am Sana Waqas
Presented by Shafqat Hussain
17127
6th C
Transformational Generative Grammar
DEEP STRUCTURE
1. Surface Structure and Deep Structure
These are basically two concepts use in linguistics specifically in the study of syntax in the
Chomskian linguistic way.
Semantic and Syntactic representatives of a sentence, from which the surface structure
can be derived is known as Deep Structure.
Deep Structure represents meaning
Surface structure is the actual sentence we see.
This concept was popularized in 1900 and 70 by American linguistic scholar Chomsky.
Surface Structure is structural representation.
Deep Structure gives several other structures.
(i) He writes a letter.
(ii) A letter is written by him.
Chomsky says these two are distinct surface forms that are derived from a deep structure.
Syntactically Chomsky says because every sentence in a mind is an invisible, inaudible
deep structure.
Deep structure is converted by transformational rules.
2. Palmer:
Transformation: Misleading
All transformation of a sentence are misleading. For two reason;
First, even declarative, the internal structure, may have to undergo transformations because
they cannot be entirely generated by PS rules.
Example,
The man has been reading a book.
There are three grammatical characteristics.
(1) Present Tense (2) Perfect Phase (3)Progressive aspect
Auxiliary Verb: PS grammar;
(Aux; Tense, Aspect, Phase)
the past tense
The perfect
The progressive
Treating them all as auxiliaries.
Chomsky:
Treat these as obligatory.
Every phase; present or past.
And the rest as optional.
Does not refer to their grammatical label.
The PS rules will generate then:
The man s have + en + ing read the book.
Apply transformational rule:
“Affix. Hopping”
To position then;
Have + s = has
Be + en = been
Read + ing = reading
3. Morphophonemic rule
To convert have + s into has
Have + s = has
Chomsky PS rule also introduced optional needed verbs:
Aux = Tense (Made) (have +en) (Be + ing)
Affix happening and Morphophonemic:
May have been reading the book.
4. Passive Voice
Second, if generating passive sentence transformation; the movement of NP and change in the
form of the verb
Example,
The man has read the book.
The book has been read by the man.
1. Active is PS structure of active sentence
(i) The man have + en read the book
2. NPs have been moved, by introduced and be + en ended.
3. Effect of affix hoping and morphophonemic rules.
Rule;
Passive; not only active sentence
Passive; PS structure.
5. Aspects of Theory of Syntax
The above theory says there Deeper structure than this.
The passive structure can be introduced as an optical element with by pass
The man has read the book by pass.
(Be + en, Place NP at the end in place of pass itself)
6. Agentless passive:
Some passive structures in surface structure do not have their agent. Such structures in
deep structure are given a symbolic agent.
Example:
Killed the man
Someone killed the man.
This triangle in deep structure represents someone.
Such structures need dummy subjects to make their passive structure in deep
structure.
Past word will be used on the place of main verb if it is in past tense.
Deep structures contain abstract elements such as (past, Q, pass etc.) and these
elements should be deleted by transformational rules in order to convert these
sentences in to surface structure.
7. Interrogative Sentence
Sentences which are formed to ask a question have also a deep structure. Their deep structure is
denoted by the letter Q in the deep structure. And the place of subject and auxiliary verb is also
reversed and question mark is omitted.
For example,
Can you go?
Q you can go.
Note: Sometimes there also occurs the insertion of Do.
Thus, Can you go? is actually derived from Q you can go.
8. Wh Questions
How, what, where, when, where etc.
We need transformations not only to transpose the subject of auxiliary verb but in many
cases to move NP containing Wh words to intial position.
Example,
What did you buy? (Surface Structure)
You past buy what. (Deep Structure)
Note: past is used because the surface structure is in past tense.
9. Indirect Question
There is no transposition with indirect question.
There is also no transposition of yes/no question.
Deletion can only take place where there is Wh movement.
10. EQui-NP Deletion
It is a rule to delete second noun phrase in a surface structure sentence.
Example,
Bill wants Bill meet marry.
Here, the second clause starting from Bill is the compliment of verb want.
This is the deep structure.
In its surface structure the second Bill id deleted. Transformational rules delete the Second NP
(Bill) and add to.
Bill wants meet marry.
Thus, the second Bill is displaced. And this process is known as the EQui-NP Deletion.
