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    X-Bar Theory

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    Marcel Balaur
    The document discusses X-bar theory, which proposes that syntactic structures can be represented as binary branching trees. Phrases are headed by lexical categories like nouns and verbs. The head determines the properties of the phrase. Phrases are built up recursively by combining heads with their complements and specifiers. The trees represent hierarchical and precedence relations between constituents. Functional projections like Inflection Phrase and Complementizer Phrase are also discussed. Movement of elements like auxiliaries is explained.

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    X-Bar Theory

    Uploaded by

    Marcel Balaur
    258 views8 pages
    The document discusses X-bar theory, which proposes that syntactic structures can be represented as binary branching trees. Phrases are headed by lexical categories like nouns and verbs. The head determines the properties of the phrase. Phrases are built up recursively by combining heads with their complements and specifiers. The trees represent hierarchical and precedence relations between constituents. Functional projections like Inflection Phrase and Complementizer Phrase are also discussed. Movement of elements like auxiliaries is explained.

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    X-bar theory - generative grammar

    Original Title

    X-bar theory

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    The document discusses X-bar theory, which proposes that syntactic structures can be represented as binary branching trees. Phrases are headed by lexical categories like nouns and verbs. The head determines the properties of the phrase. Phrases are built up recursively by combining heads with their complements and specifiers. The trees represent hierarchical and precedence relations between constituents. Functional projections like Inflection Phrase and Complementizer Phrase are also discussed. Movement of elements like auxiliaries is explained.

    Copyright:

    © All Rights Reserved
    Download as PDF, TXT or read online from Scribd
    Download as pdf or txt
    258 views8 pages

    X-Bar Theory

    Uploaded by

    Marcel Balaur
    The document discusses X-bar theory, which proposes that syntactic structures can be represented as binary branching trees. Phrases are headed by lexical categories like nouns and verbs. The head determines the properties of the phrase. Phrases are built up recursively by combining heads with their complements and specifiers. The trees represent hierarchical and precedence relations between constituents. Functional projections like Inflection Phrase and Complementizer Phrase are also discussed. Movement of elements like auxiliaries is explained.

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    © All Rights Reserved
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    Download as pdf or txt
    of 8

    tefan Oltean, Generative linguistics (X-bar theory)

    X-bar theory: Sentences are not merely strings of words; the words that compose the
    sentence are grouped into phrases. X-bar theory offers a uniform format for all types of
    phrases in the sentence.
    The syntactic structure of a phrase is endocentric; a syntactic constituent is built around a
    head, which determines the properties of the constituent (constituents headed by a noun is
    a noun phrases; they share a number of distributional characteristics)
    1. The instructor will analize the problems after class.
    VP = will analize the problems after class

    NP
    The instructor

    VP
    will analize

    NP
    the problems

    PP
    after class

    VP

    V
    will analize

    NP
    the problems

    PP
    after class

    2. the instructors analysis of the problems


    NP

    NP
    the instructors

    N
    analysis

    PP
    of the problems

    PP
    after class

    How are these structures? Are the internal relations of the constituents captured?
    VP
    3.
    V
    V

    PP
    NP

    after class

    will analyze the problems

    In these representations the trees are binary, i.e. syntactic units are built up by combining two
    constituents, thus creating a new constituent (cf. MERGE)
    A constituent is built around a head (N, V,X) of a lexical category; the head has one projection
    and each projection has one head.

    tefan Oltean, Generative linguistics (X-bar theory)

    4.

    NP
    N

    NP
    The instructors N

    NP

    analysis

    of the problems

    - hierarchical structures
    5.

    NP
    .

    N
    6. this book

    NP
    Det.

    this

    N
    book

    7. these students from Paris


    NP
    det.

    these

    PP

    students

    from Paris

    8. The students [all drink Martini].

    tefan Oltean, Generative linguistics (X-bar theory)

    VP

    Specifer

    all
    V

    NP

    drink

    Martini

    9.

    VP
    .

    V
    10. right after class
    PP
    right

    P
    11.

    NP

    XP
    .

    The category of the head determines the category of the constituent. The head combines with a
    complement to form an intermediate projection X. The complement of a head is a phrase that is
    also formed according to the X-bar format. The head determines the number of complements and
    the particular form of the complements (e.g., analyze selects an NP, rely a PP, analysis (an NP)
    and envious (an AP) select a PP (envious of John, *envious John). A singular NP head selects a
    singular agreement of the NP (analysis of the problems takes a singular verb, e.g., is); the
    grammatical feature of the head percolates to the projection.

    12. The students smoked smoke Marlboro.

    tefan Oltean, Generative linguistics (X-bar theory)

    Subject

    VP

    students V

    NP

    smoked

    Marlboro

    The sentence is seen as the expansion of the projection of the verb: the lexical or thematic core of
    the sentence is the VP. But is it so?
    A sentence is more than a mere projection of a verb. It is associated with inflections
    expressing time, aspect etc. VP is integrated into the sentence through the functional head
    Inflection, which takes the VP as complement.

    13.

    InflP/IP

    - IP is the inflection projection. It is a functional projection.

    Infl

    Infl

    VP

    Tense, Agr NP
    [past, pl. III]
    -ed students

    V
    V

    NP

    smoke Marlboro
    14.

    InflP

    NP
    Infl
    The studentsi
    Infl.

    VP

    Tense, Agr. NPi


    _

    V
    V

    NP

    smoked Marlboro
    Movement has PF motivation; it guarantees that the inflection has lexical support (a
    proper host).

    tefan Oltean, Generative linguistics (X-bar theory)

    The specifier of the IP is the canonical subject position, which is the highest in the structure.
    The IP is the complement of C (complementizer), another functional projection.

    The Complementizer Phrase


    1. I think [that [the students will have a drink after class]].
    2. She asks [whether [the students will have a drink after class]].
    3. She expects [for [the students to have a drink after class]].
    C/CP
    C

    Spec

    IP
    ?

    that
    the students will have a drink after class
    whether
    for
    The projection headed by C links the clause (IP) with the context / discourse. It encodes
    the illocutionary force of the sentence, the way the speaker presents the information to
    the hearer. In statements the inflection / the auxiliary is in I. In questions it moves to C.
    4. Will the students have a drink after class?
    C/CP
    C

    Spec

    IP
    ?

    C
    NP

    Will
    the students I
    ti

    VP
    have a drink after class

    5. Mary watches television after dinner.


    *-s Mary watch television after dinner?
    Does Mary watch television after dinner?

    tefan Oltean, Generative linguistics (X-bar theory)

    C/CP
    C

    Spec

    IP
    ?

    C
    NP

    Doesi
    Mary

    VP

    ti

    watch television after dinner?

    6. When does Mary watch television?


    C/CP
    C

    Spec

    IP
    Whenj

    C
    NP

    Doesi
    Mary

    Specifier-head agreement
    7.

    NP
    Det

    this/these
    N

    ZP

    student/students

    VP

    ti

    watch television tj?

    tefan Oltean, Generative linguistics (X-bar theory)

    8.

    IP
    I

    NP
    Mary
    I

    VP

    -s
    watch television after class
    Structural relations
    Dominance: Node A dominates node B iff (if and only if) A is higher in the tree than B
    and if a line can be traced from A to B going downwards.
    Immediate dominance: When there is no intervening node between the elements.
    Precedence: Node A precedes node B iff A is to the left of B and A does not dominate B
    or B does not dominate A.
    Immediate precedence: if a node A precedes node B and there is no interveing node.
    Sisterhood: e.g., in the case of VP: it immediately dominates V and NP, which are
    sisters; VP is the mother.

    9.

    VP

    V
    watch

    NP
    television

    C-command
    10.

    Ai

    Bi

    tefan Oltean, Generative linguistics (X-bar theory)

    Government in terms of sisterhood


    11.

    A
    B
    A is a governor; A and B are sisters; A is a lexical head the commonest case of
    government.
    If A is a V, does it govern the NP complement or the NP subject?
    Extended definition of government
    A governs B if 1) A is a governor; 2) A c-commands B; 3) Nor barrier intervenes
    between A and B. Governors are lexical heads (N, V, P, A) and tensed I. Maximal
    projections are barriers to government.

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