ZUNAIRA CHAUDHARY

24578
TRANSFORMATIONAL GRAMMER
 INTRODUCTION

• Transformational grammar is a linguistic theory developed by Noam Chomsky in

the 1950s.

• It aims to analyze the deep structure and surface structure of sentences to

understand language structure and meaning.

 What is Transformational Grammar?

• Transformational grammar is a generative grammer , especially of a natural language , that

involve use of defined operations called transformations to produce new sentences from existing

ones.

• Transformational grammer is set of rules that indicates the structure and intrepretation of

sentences which native speaker of languages accept as belonging to the language.

• At the heart of transformational grammar is the idea that sentences have a deep structure and a

surface structure.
 Transformational grammar allows us to analyze sentences and determine if they are
grammatically correct or not. It helps us understand language patterns and how they can
be modified.

For example, let's say you have a sentence like "I saw her at the park." Using
transformational rules, we can transform it into "At the park, I saw her." The meaning
stays the same, but the emphasis shifts to the location.

By studying transformational grammar, linguists can gain insights into how language is
structured, how it can evolve, and how we can better understand and interpret different
sentence patterns and meanings.
Transformational grammar helps us understand how sentences
can be modified, rearranged, or transformed to convey different
meanings. It's a fascinating theory that has had a big impact on
the field of linguistics.
One type of transformation is called "movement." This happens
when a word or phrase in the deep structure gets shifted to a
different position in the surface structure. This movement can
help us understand how sentences can change meaning or create
emphasis.
Another type of transformation is called "passivization." This
occurs when the subject of a sentence in the deep structure
becomes the object in the surface structure, and the object
becomes the subject. It's like flipping the roles of the
different sentence parts.

Transformational grammar also helps us analyze and

understand the relationships between different words and
phrases. It looks into things like phrase structure rules and
the hierarchical organization of language.
In addition to movements and passivization, there are other types of transformations in
transformational grammar. One of them is called "wh-movement." This happens when a
question is formed by moving a "wh-word" (like who, what, where, when, why) to the
beginning of the sentence.

For example, let's take the sentence "She bought a car." If we apply wh-movement, it
becomes "What did she buy?" By moving the word "what" to the front, we create a
question. Pretty neat, right?
Another important aspect of transformational grammar is the use of auxiliary verbs or
"helpers." These little guys play a crucial role in changing the structure of sentences.
They help with actions, tense, negation, and more. For example, "I am going to the
store" uses the auxiliary verb "am" to convey the present continuous tense.

Transformational grammar provides a framework for understanding the underlying

structures and processes of language. It helps us break down sentences, analyze their
components, and identify the different transformations that can occur.
LARAIB NISAR KAYANI
Transformation

Sentence

Deep Structure

Transformation

Surface Structure

Another Sentence
 Deep Structure

• The deep structure represents the underlying meaning of a sentence

• Deep structure refers to the underlying meaning or semantic representation of a

sentence.

• - It provides a structural blueprint that captures the essential elements of a

sentence's meaning.
 Surface Structure
• The surface structure is the actual arrangement of words and phrases.

• Surface structure represents the actual word order and grammatical structure of a

sentence.

• It is derived from the deep structure through various transformational processes.

 Transformational Rules
• Transformational rules are the mechanisms through which sentences are

transformed from deep structure to surface structure.

• These rules include processes like movement, deletion, and insertion, which alter

the grammar and meaning of sentences.

 Types Of Transformation

• Subject _verb inversion

• Subject _ operator inversion

 Subject verb inversion

• Best of all would be to get a

• To get a job in willingham
job in willingham.
would be best for all
• on long walk hung a row of
• A row of van gohs hung on
van gohs.
long wall
• There is the dog.
• The dog is there
• Down came the rain.
• The rain came down
• Theres your sister.
• Yours sister there.
 Subject -operator inversion

• I never thought of disobedience • Never again did I think of

again. disobedience.
• On no account must be strain.
• he must strain on no account. • So badly was he affected by the
• he was affected by the virus so badly. virus.