0805852212.pdf

AdjPÆ

adj

NP

ì

í

î

ü

ý

þ

PPÆprep NP

VÆ

V

Vprt+

ì

í

î

ü

ý

þ

NÆgoons, bow ties, number, Pizza Hut, Buggsy, gun, table

VÆlooked + prt, put

detÆthe

prepÆwith, for, on

prtÆup

These rules have value beyond their ability to describe sentences 1 through

5. They also help us understand that, as sentences become more complex, the
   grammar must become more flexible if it is to describe a variety of structures.
   NP and VP, for example, may have several elements, but they are all optional
   except for the core features, N and V, respectively. Perhaps the larger goal of
   phrase-structure grammar is becoming clear. Individual sentence grammars are
   revealing, but the process of producing a new set of rules for all the possible in-
   dividual sentences in English (an infinite number) is not practical. Moreover, it
   does not provide a coherent picture of the whole language. The goal, therefore,
   is to examine a wide range of sentences to develop a set of highly generalizable
   statements that describe most (but not necessarily all) of the grammatical
   sentences that speakers of the language normally produce.

APPLYING KEY IDEAS

Directions: Write separate phrase-structure rules for each of the following
sentences:

1. A bug danced across my palm.


2. The cold wind blew from the distant lake.


3. An old man asked for a drink at the bar.


4. Buggsy put on a coat and walked into the desert.
   5.Fritz really liked Macarena.

106 CHAPTER 4