X-Bar Syntax

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X-Bar Syntax

• - an overview

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Constituents again
Determine the constituent structure of
the following two sentences
The long hot summer which everyone loved is over
It has been the best summer ever
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The long hot summer which everyone loved is
over
Concentrate on the first constituent
It contains several constituents
The long hot summer which everyone
loved
The and summer are obligatory, the rest
optional
The long hot summer which everyone loved
Summer is a N, so the type of phrase projected
from it is a NP
NP
The D(eterminer) is said to specify (or be the
specifier of) N
D
N
The
summer
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• but what do we do about all the other words in
  the original?

They are constituents of the NP, but they are not
necessary constituents
Question Which of the two obligatory words (the
and summer) do they seem to be connected with
most closely?
Answer summer
Test Long, hot summers which everybody
loves The hot, long which everybody loves
So, we have to insert them in connection with N.
How? Lets try one at the time
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Long and hot are Adjectives (A) which everybody
loves is a Relative Clause
Adjectives and Relative Clauses are Modifiers of N
NP
?
D
N
A
The
summer
long
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It is the category formed by long and summer that
is called an N-bar (N)
The (single-)bar categories, X, are intermediate
projections between the lexical level (X0) and
the phrasal level, which is also called
double-bar (X)
NP ( N)
N
D
N
A
The
summer
long
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But as you see from the original phrase, there
may be more than one A and Relative Clause
modifying N.
We say that the single-bar categories are
recursive
NP ( N)
D
N
N
A
N
A
The
summer
hot
long
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Relative Clauses are subordinate clauses usually
introduced by a Relative pronoun, here which it
functions as a Comp(lementizer) and as Direct
Object of loved.
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Ithas been the best summer ever
Concentrate on the second constituent
It contains three constituents
has been the best summer
All three constituents are obligatory, and been
is the head word
It is a V, so the phrase it projects is a VP
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Here, has is an Auxiliary, while the best summer
is the Complement of V
VP ( V)
A main verb and its complements form a V
Aux
V
NP
V
has
been
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Maximal generalization Let X N V A P
Adv Then X0 lt X lt XP
Rules
1. XP gt ZP X
ZP is the Specifier of X0
2. a. (X gt YP X)
YP is a Modifier of X0
2. b. X gt X0 WP
WP is the Complement of X0
X0 is the Head
Rule 2.a. is optional
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X-Bar Theory
Desuden C(omplementizer) P(hrase)
(tidligere) S I(inflectional) P(hrase)
(tidligere) S
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Generalized Phrase Structure
XP ( X)
Specifier
ZP
X
Modifier
(X)
(YP)
Complement
Head
X0
WP
Modifiers may precede or follow the Head,
depending on type
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However.
Only N and V clearly show the full structure P
and A (and Adv) often lack the Specifier level