Generative Grammar and Syntax Quiz

Podcast

Play an AI-generated podcast conversation about this lesson

Questions and Answers

What is the role of the subject in a sentence?

It usually follows the verb.

It can only be a pronoun.

It controls agreement on the verb. (correct)

It can be in accusative case.

Which type of clause expresses requests or commands?

Declarative clause

Complex clause

Interrogative clause

Imperative clause (correct)

In English, where do direct objects typically appear in relation to the verb?

In the middle of the sentence

After the verb (correct)

At the end of the subject

Before the verb

Which of the following describes a complex sentence?

It contains at least one subordinate embedded clause. Signup and view all the answers

What type of interrogative question is 'What did Romil watch?'?

Content question Signup and view all the answers

What distinguishes generative grammar from prescriptive grammar?

Generative grammar assigns structural descriptions to sentences through explicit rules. Signup and view all the answers

In Chomsky's theory of syntax, what is meant by the 'format' endowed in the mind of an infant?

A potential grammar framework that aids language development. Signup and view all the answers

What aspect of language does generative grammar primarily address?

The deep structures underlying sentence formation. Signup and view all the answers

How does the concept of Universal Grammar relate to generative grammar?

It suggests that all human languages share common structural features. Signup and view all the answers

Which statement about Noam Chomsky's contributions is most accurate?

He introduced the concepts of syntax and generative grammar. Signup and view all the answers

What is the basic word order in English sentences?

Subject-Verb-Object (SVO) Signup and view all the answers

Which term describes everything in a sentence other than the subject?

Predicate Signup and view all the answers

What type of predicate takes only one argument?

Intransitive predicate Signup and view all the answers

Which of the following correctly represents a transitive predicate?

She loves puppies. Signup and view all the answers

In which sentence is the argument correctly identified?

Tom gave Mary a book. Signup and view all the answers

Which of the following statements about clauses is true?

Some clauses can exist within other clauses. Signup and view all the answers

Which type of predicate requires two objects?

Ditransitive predicate Signup and view all the answers

In the sentence 'Everyone is excited', which part represents the predicate?

is excited Signup and view all the answers

Study Notes

Syntax: Key Grammatical Terminology & Theory

Syntax is the study of grammatical terminology and theory.
Olena Gordiyenko, Dr.Sc., is an expert in Germanic Languages and Foreign Languages, and a Visiting Scholar in Linguistics, German, and Slavic Studies.

Word Order

English sentences generally follow Subject-Verb-Object (SVO) order.
Basic word order in other languages varies.

Key Grammatical Terminology

A sentence is a complete statement, question, or command. It expresses a proposition which can be true or false.
A clause is a constituent that includes a subject and a predicate. Not all clauses form independent sentences.

Predicate

The predicate is the state, event, or activity that a sentence attributes to its subject.
The word "predicate" can refer to a single word (verb or adjective) or a whole verb phrase.

Arguments

Arguments are phrases that represent participants in the sentence’s predicate.
Arguments are typically noun phrases, but other phrase types are also possible (prepositional phrases, clauses).

Intransitive, Transitive, and Ditransitive Predicates

An intransitive predicate takes only a subject.
A transitive predicate takes a subject and a direct object.
A ditransitive predicate takes a subject, a direct object, and an indirect object.

Subjects and Objects

Subjects generally precede the predicate in English sentence structure.
Subjects are in the nominative case (I, we, you, he, she, it, they).
Direct objects follow the verb in English and are in the accusative case (me, us, you, him, her, it, them).
Indirect objects, common in ditransitive verbs, often receive the direct object. They are frequently marked by "to" or a preposition; pronouns are in the accusative case.

Types of Sentences (Function)

Declarative clauses are statements that can be true or false.
Interrogative clauses are questions (yes/no and content).
Imperative clauses express requests or commands.

Types of Sentences (Structure)

A simple sentence contains only one clause.
A compound sentence contains two or more clauses joined by a conjunction (e.g., and, or, but).
A complex sentence contains one or more subordinate clauses (clauses embedded inside another clause).

Grammar: Prescriptive vs. Generative

Prescriptive grammar sets rules based on how people should use language.
Generative grammar (Chomsky) describes a system of rules that assign structural descriptions to sentences, focusing on how humans produce and process language.

Noam Chomsky and Theory of Syntax

Noam Chomsky is an influential American linguist. His work revolutionized the field of linguistics in the 1950s.
Chomsky proposed the idea of Universal Grammar, which asserts we have an innate capacity for language.