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CHAPTER II - Sentence Constituents
CHAPTER II - Sentence Constituents
CHAPTER II
Phrases (P)
Words (w)
Clauses
Phrases
Words
A simple sentence contains only one finite clause (FCL), so that the
structure of a finite clause is identical with that of a simple sentence.
∗She be my best friend is not a sentence, because the verb is not finite
(conjugated). As such, it does not agree with the subject ‘she’.
The units of Grammar: (i.e. sentence (S), clause (CL), phrase (P) and word
(w) can be ordered in terms of RANK. The highest unit is the sentence, and
the lowest one is the word.
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Dr. AZIZA CHOUAIBI MODULE3 - GRAMMAR 3 YEAR 2020/2021
This means that a unit of the higher rank consists of one or more of the
units of the next lower rank. So a sentence can consist of only one clause. A
clause can consist of only one phrase which itself can consist of only one
word... Imperative sentences are good examples:
Stop!; Run! These are two sentences consisting of one clause consisting of
one phrase consisting of one word.
- Phrase: P
- Noun phrase: NP
- Verb phrase: VP
- Prepositional phrase: PP
- Adjective phrase: AjP
- Adverb phrase: AvP
- Genitive phrase: GP
- Clause: CL
- Noun clause: NCL
- Adverbial clause: ACL
- Noun: N
- Verb: V
- Adjective: Aj
- Adverb: Av
- Main verb: Mv
- Auxiliary verb: Aux
- Modal verb: m
- Head: H
- Modifier: M
- Ungrammatical combinations: *
- Clauses are enclosed between square brackets: [CL].
- Phrases are enclosed between round brackets: (P).
- Optional elements in P are enclosed between curled brackets: { }
-
TYPES OF PHRASES
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Dr. AZIZA CHOUAIBI MODULE3 - GRAMMAR 3 YEAR 2020/2021
Just as words are divided into word classes such as NOUN (N), VERB (V),
ADJECTIVE (AJ), ADVERB (AV), so are PHRASES. They can be subdivided
into:
({Mn} H {Mn})
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Dr. AZIZA CHOUAIBI MODULE3 - GRAMMAR 3 YEAR 2020/2021
FORM: the form of a phrase refers to its grammatical category (i.e. NP,
VP, AjP, AvP, PP, GP) and also to the way the structure of the phrase is
made up of words. The structures on NPs are very diverse. Let us consider
examples of different types of NPs in simple sentences (= one-clause
sentences), followed by corresponding structures:
1. [NP(PNHJohn) VP(Vwas) NP(DetMthe AjMbest NHstudent) PP(in the
classroom)].
2. [NP(DetMthe NHcat) VP(scratched) NP(DetMthe NHdog)].
3. [ NP(ProHHe) VP(is) NP(detMthe AjHbest)].
4. [NP(DetMthe NHlady PPM(in blue)) VP(is) NP (DetMthe NHpresident PPM(of this
association))].
5. [NP(DetMthe NHperson CLM[NP(ProHwho) was receiving NP(medical
N care)] PP (in room 01)) VP(died) PP(in the morning)].
H M
2’- NP (MDet H
N); NP(MDet H )
N
4’- NP (MDet H
N
M(PP)); NP(MDet H
N
M(PP))
5’- NP (MDet H
N
M[CL] M(PP))
6’- NP (MDet H
N); NP(HPro)
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Dr. AZIZA CHOUAIBI MODULE3 - GRAMMAR 3 YEAR 2020/2021
The structures above describe all NPs present in the preceding sentences.
Some of them are repeated (ex pro, Det N..). Just keep in mind that an NP
is a convenient term for any one of the following:
MODIFIERS of NP
There are two types of modifiers, as you may have noticed in the
sentences above (1-7). Those that precede the head and they are called
Premodifiers and those that follow the head and they are called
postmodifiers
1) PREMODIFIERS
In an NP, the premodifiers are placed before the Head N. They may be:
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Dr. AZIZA CHOUAIBI MODULE3 - GRAMMAR 3 YEAR 2020/2021
2) POSTMODIFIERS
In an NP, the postmodifiers are placed after the Head N. They may be:
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Dr. AZIZA CHOUAIBI MODULE3 - GRAMMAR 3 YEAR 2020/2021
The idea of main and subordinate clauses is familiar; but here we will
introduce the same distinction for phrases. A main phrase is one which is
a direct constituent of a clause (a necessary component of the sentence,
since every sentence must have a subject, and only NPs can be subjects),
and not part of another phrase, while subordinate phrases are those
which are part of other phrases. For example (the lady in black) is an NP
in which there are two phrases: (the lady) which is the main phrase, and
it is a direct constituent of a sentence like: [the lady is very polite], while
(in black) is not a direct constituent of the sentence: *[in black is very
polite] is not a sentence in English. Rather, (in black) is a phrase (=PP)
within another phrase (NP) with the purpose of modifying (=specifying,
adding information about) ‘lady’; it is directly related to ‘lady’, whereas
(the lady) is an essential constituent of the sentence.
Here the PP (by the table) postmodifies the head N ‘girl’ (=it is the girl
who is sitting by the table); the PP (with carved legs), on the other hand,
describes the table (= it is the table which has carved legs, not the girl).
Notice that (by the table) is not enclosed between two brackets, there is
only one bracket at its left; this means that the PP (with the carved legs) is
directly related to ‘table’; it modifies ‘table’ not girl. Sometimes,
postmodifying PPs in an NP may all modify the head noun of the NP. For
example:
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Dr. AZIZA CHOUAIBI MODULE3 - GRAMMAR 3 YEAR 2020/2021
Here manifestly the PP (with the sunburnt legs) does not modify ‘table’,
but ‘girl’. Notice that the PP (by the table) is, now, enclosed between two
brackets; this means that both PPs modify ‘girl’ (i.e. the girl is sitting by
the table and she has sunburnt legs).
FUNCTION: in the clause, NPs function (=act) as subject (S), as object (O),
or complement (C). However, some NPs of time and place can act as
Adverbials:
[ S MThe Hhouse) Mquite Hempty].
NP (Det N VP(was) AjP(Av Aj NP=S
[NPS (ProHWe) (have bought) NPO(DetMthe NHhouse)]. NP=O
[NPS (ProHShe) VP(must be) NPC(the dean)]. NP=C
[NPS(we) VP(walked) NPA(five miles) NPA(last week)]. NP=A
Function: in the clause PPs act as adverbials (A) (to not confuse with
adverbs (Av) or adverb phrases (AvP)). As it is, Adverbial (A) is a function.
Example: [PP A(By Monday) (we) (had arrived) PP A(by train)].
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AvP (AvMmore H
AV quickly PPM(pthan last year)
Note:
- the elements of the VP can only occur in a strict order; for example,
‘could have worked’ and ‘had been waiting’ are grammatical
combinations, but *have could worked and *been had waiting are not.
‘m’ always come before ‘Perf’, which comes before ‘Prog’, which itself
comes before Mv.
- Each auxiliary (Aux) determines the form of the verb which follows it,
e.g. ‘has worked’ occurs but not ‘has working’.
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Dr. AZIZA CHOUAIBI MODULE3 - GRAMMAR 3 YEAR 2020/2021
VP(Mv talk);
VP(Auxis Mvtalking);
VP(Auxhas Mvtalked);
VP(Auxmust Mvtalk).
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