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Transformational Grammar: By: Noam Chomsky

Transformational grammar is a theory of grammar developed by Noam Chomsky that uses rules and principles to generate the grammatically correct sentences of a language. It posits that the human brain has an innate language acquisition device that allows children to learn the rules of their native language quickly based on limited exposure. Transformational grammar uses rules to add, delete, move, or substitute parts of sentences, changing their deep structure into surface structure through a transformational cycle. It separates linguistic competence, the innate knowledge of language, from performance, which is influenced by errors, slips of the tongue, and other real-world factors.

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247 views12 pages

Transformational Grammar: By: Noam Chomsky

Transformational grammar is a theory of grammar developed by Noam Chomsky that uses rules and principles to generate the grammatically correct sentences of a language. It posits that the human brain has an innate language acquisition device that allows children to learn the rules of their native language quickly based on limited exposure. Transformational grammar uses rules to add, delete, move, or substitute parts of sentences, changing their deep structure into surface structure through a transformational cycle. It separates linguistic competence, the innate knowledge of language, from performance, which is influenced by errors, slips of the tongue, and other real-world factors.

Uploaded by

Rea Agar
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© © All Rights Reserved
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
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  • Introduction to Transformational Grammar: Introduces transformational grammar and its purpose in generating grammatically correct sentences through rules and principles.
  • Transformational Process of Syntactic Structures: Discusses the process in transformational grammar for modifying sentence structures through rules such as adding, deleting, and moving words.
  • Deep and Surface Structures: Explains the concept of deep and surface structures as they relate to semantic and phonological components in grammar.
  • Characteristics of Transformational Grammar: Details the characteristics that define transformational grammar, focusing on semantic and phonetic interpretations.
  • Chomsky's View on Language Acquisition: Presents Chomsky's perspective on how children acquire language, emphasizing innate language faculties and challenges in language learning.
  • Grammatical Theories: Competence and Performance: Explores the difference between linguistic competence and performance, including grammaticality and meaningfulness.

TRANSFORMATIONAL

GRAMMAR
By: Noam Chomsky
 a device for generating sentences in a
language.
• It generates only the well-formed or grammatically
correct sentences of a language since it is meant to
create the rules and principles which are in the mind
or brain of a native speaker

 grammar has recursive rules allowing one to


generate grammatically correct sentences over
and over.
• Our brain has a mechanism which can create
language by following the language principles and
grammar.
 Transformational Process of the Syntactic
Structures according to Chomsky‟s
Transformational Grammar can be best
summarized by adding, deleting, moving, and
substituting of words. These changes take
place through specific rules, which are called
Transformational Rules.
 any sentence structure contains a noun
phrase (NP) and a verb phrase (VP)
Example:
1. Vicki laughed.
 Vicki‟ is a NP and „laughed‟ is a VP

2. The woman laughed.


 The woman‟ is the NP and „laughed‟ is the VP

3. Vicki who lives near me laughed.


 Vicki who lives near me” is the NP; “laughed” is

the VP
4. Vicki who lives near me laughed loudly.
 The NP consists of “Vicki who lives near me”

and the VP is “laughed loudly


Deep and Surface Structure 
 Deep structures are the input to
the semantic component, which
describes their meaning.

 Surface
structures are the input to
the phonological component,
which describes their sound.
 The helical line connecting deep structure
to surface structure represents the
transformational cycle introduced in
Chomsky ( 1965) .
Characteristic:
 the meaning, or semantic interpretation , of a
sentence is determined from its deep structure 

 the pronunciation , or phonetic interpretation ,


of a sentence is determined from its surface
structure

 the role of transformations is seen as


converting the semantically relevant level of
linguistic description into the phonetically
relevant level
Chomsky’s view
 The information that the child is presented
with—when other people address him or
when he hears them talk to each other—is
limited in amount, fragmentary, and
imperfect. There seems to be no way the
child could learn the language just by
generalizing from his inadequate
experiences, from the utterances he hears.
Furthermore, the child acquires the
language at a very early age, before his
general intellectual faculties are developed.
 the ability to learn a language is only marginally dependent on
intelligence and motivation—stupid children and intelligent children,
motivated and unmotivated children, all learn to speak their native
tongue. 

  If a child does not acquire his first language by


puberty, it is difficult, and perhaps impossible,
for him to learn one after that time. 

 Chomsky speaks of the child as being born "with


a perfect knowledge of universal grammar, that
is, with a fixed schematism that he uses,…in
acquiring language." 
 Grammatical Theories
Competence & Performance
 Linguistic Performance
• Chomsky noted the obvious fact that people,
when speaking in the real world, often make
linguistic errors (e.g., starting a sentence and then
abandoning it midway through)

 Linguistic
Competence
• the knowledge that allows people to
construct and understand grammatical
sentences
 Grammaticality
- correctness in terms of grammar
 It is possible for a sentence to be both
grammatical and meaningless.
• Colorless green ideas sleep furiously.

 Meaningful but ungrammatical (non)sentences


• Man the bit sandwich the.
THANK
YOU!!!

TRANSFORMATIONAL GRAMMAR By: Noam Chomsky
grammar has recursive rules allowing one to generate grammatically correct sentences over and over. • Our brain has a m
 any sentence structure contains a noun phrase (NP) and a verb phrase (VP) Transformational Process of the Syntactic St
1. Vicki laughed.  Vicki‟ is a NP and „laughed‟ is a VP 2. The woman laughed. The woman‟ is the NP and „laughed‟ is the VP
Deep structures are the input to the semantic component, which describes their meaning. Surface structures are the input
The helical line connecting deep structure to surface structure represents the transformational cycle introduced in Choms
the meaning, or semantic interpretation , of a sentence is determined from its deep structure  the pronunciation , or phon
The information that the child is presented with—when other people address him or when he hears them talk to each other—is
 If a child does not acquire his first language by puberty, it is difficult, and perhaps impossible, for him to learn one
Linguistic Performance • Chomsky noted the obvious fact that people, when speaking in the real world, often make lingui

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