Phrase Structure Rules

II
What do all these trees do?

• help construct structure...

• guide interpretation...
 Two structures:
S two meanings

VP ?
‘PP Attachment’

NP ?
NP PP
V
The dwarf saw the gnome in the garden
it was the gnome who was seen in Two
the garden
structures:
S
the gnome was seen in the garden two meanings
in the garden the dwarf saw the gnome
VP
‘PP Attachment’

NP
NP PP
V
The dwarf saw the gnome in the garden
it was the gnome in the garden who was seen
Two structures:
S
the gnome in the garden was seen two meanings
?? the gnome in the garden the dwarf saw
VP
‘PP Attachment’

NP
NP
V PP
The dwarf saw the gnome in the garden
The gnome in the garden is sad
 What rule???
S

NP PP VP

prep NP
det N det N
The gnome in the garden is sad
 S
NP
VP
PP
prep NP
det N det N
The gnome in the garden is sad
 Syntactic Rules
S

NP PP VP

prep NP
det N det N
The gnome in the garden is sad
What do all these trees do?

• help construct structure...

• guide interpretation...
• guide functional interpretation...
Grammatical
Functions
S Circumstances

ideational

NP VP
Participants PP
NP
Process
verb prep NP
det adj N det N det N
The small gnome wiped his hands on the hill
Grammatical ideational
Functions
S
Process
VP
verb

Participants Circumstances
Grammatical Finite

Functions
S
interpersonal

NP VP
Subject PP
NP
verb prep NP
det adj N det N det N
The small gnome wiped his hands on the hill
Grammatical interpersonal
Functions
S
VP
verb
Subject
Finite
Subject Participant
Finite S Process

NP VP

PP
prep NP verb NP

det adj N det N det N

The small gnome on the hill wiped his hands
 Bottom line:

functional interpretation
depends on tree geometry
 S IC-analysis
(immediate constituency
NP VP analysis)

NP PP

N V D N
I saw the gnome in the garden
Subject S IC-analysis
+
NP VP Functions

NP PP

N V D N
I saw the gnome in the garden
 S IC-analysis
+
NP VP Functions
Participant

NP PP Circumstance

Participant
Process

N V D N
I saw the gnome in the garden
Semantics

Compositional Semantics

How to put meanings together

from the parts...
(3 + 4) × (5 - 2 x 4) = ?
× COMPOSITIONAL
SEMANTICS

+ -
×
3 4 5 2 4
(3 + 4) × (5 - 2 x 4) = ?
×
+ -
×
3 4 5 2 4
(3 + 4) × (5 - 2 x 4) = ?
×
+ -
×
3 4 5 2 4
(3 + 4) × (5 - 2 x 4) = ?
×
+ -
×
3 4 5 2 4
(3 + 4) × (5 - 2 x 4) = ?
×
+ -
×
3 4 5 2 4
(3 + 4) × (5 - 2 x 4) = ?
×
+ -
×
3 4 5 2 4
 Semantics

Compositional Semantics

Syntax trees work in exactly the same way!!

 S
NP VP
NP
det noun verb det noun
The dog chased the boy
 S
NP VP
NP
det noun verb det noun
The dog chased the boy
 NP
we are
talking
about
some class
det noun of objects
that are
describable
The dog as dogs
 NP
we are
talking
about an
object that
I expect det noun
you to be
able to
identify The dog
 we are talking about
some particular dog that
I expect you to be able
to identify
NP
we are we are
talking talking
about an about
object that some class
I expect det noun of objects
you to be that are
able to describable
identify The dog as dogs
 S
VP
‘the-boy’
NP NP
det noun verb det noun
The dog chased the boy
 S ?

VP
‘the-boy’
NP NP
det noun verb det noun
The dog chased the boy
 we are talking about
s.o. chasing X

VP
s.o. chases s.t.

we are
V NP talking
about
chase something,
call it X
 S s.o. chased s.t.
s.t. = the-boy
VP
‘the-boy’
NP NP
det noun verb det noun
The dog chased the boy
 S s.o. chased the-boy

VP
NP NP
det noun verb det noun
The dog chased the boy
 s.o. chased the-boy
S s.o. = the-dog
s.o. chased the-boy
VP
‘the-dog’
NP NP
det noun verb det noun
The dog chased the boy
 s.o. chased the-boy
S s.o. = the-dog
s.o. chased s.t.
s.t. = the-boy
VP
‘the-dog’ ‘the-boy’
NP NP
det noun verb det noun
The dog chased the boy
Structural ambiguity entails
semantic ambiguity...
 S

NP VP

NP
PP
NP
det noun verb det noun
det noun prep

The dog chased the boy in the garden

 S s.o. chased s.t.
s.t. = the-boy

NP VP

PP
NP
NP
det noun verb det noun
det noun prep

The dog chased the boy in the garden

 S

VP the chasing was somewhere

NP somewhere = in-the-garden

PP
NP
NP
det noun verb det noun
det noun prep

The dog chased the boy in the garden

 S s.o. chased s.t.
s.t. = the-boy
VP the chasing was somewhere
NP somewhere = in-the-garden

PP
NP
NP
det noun verb det noun
det noun prep

The dog chased the boy in the garden

 S

NP VP

PP
NP
NP
det noun verb det noun
det noun prep

The dog chased the boy in the garden

 S

NP VP

NP
PP
NP
det noun verb det noun
det noun prep

The dog chased the boy in the garden

 S

NP VP the boy was somewhere

somewhere = in-the-garden

NP
PP
NP
det noun verb det noun
det noun prep

The dog chased the boy in the garden

 S s.o. chased s.t.
s.t. = ?

NP VP the boy was somewhere

somewhere = in-the-garden

NP
PP
NP
det noun verb det noun
det noun prep

The dog chased the boy in the garden

 S s.o. chased s.t.
s.t. = the-boy-in-the-garden

NP VP the boy was somewhere

somewhere = in-the-garden

NP
PP
NP
det noun verb det noun
det noun prep

The dog chased the boy in the garden