What is an X phrase?
An X Phrase consists of an optional specifier and an X-bar, in any order: XP → (specifier), X′ XP XP / \ or / \ spec X’ X’ spec. 2. One kind of X-bar consists of an X-bar and an adjunct, in either order: (X′ → X′, adjunct) Not all XPs contain X′s with adjuncts, so this rewrite rule is “optional”.
What are specifiers in X-bar theory?
X-bar theory also proposes that phrase can have a specifier. A specifier is a phrase that is sister to the bar-level and daughter to the phrase level. The most common job for specifiers is as the subjects of sentences, so we’ll look at those in another unit.
What is the bar level in X-bar theory?
In the standard X-bar theory it is assumed that there are three levels: X, X-bar, and XP. The head is always the first (X) level, the phrase is the XP level, and X-bar is an intermediate level. The complement of a head always forms an X-bar level: X-bar –> X plus Comp of X.
What does V mean in syntax?
The next bar level is V’ (read as ‘V-bar’),1 the syntactic category of a transitive verb and its object. For a transitive verb, each bar level corresponds to the number of arguments with which the verb has combined.
What is TP in syntax?
The Specifier of TP is the position for the phrase, usually a noun phrase, that’s the subject of the sentence. Subjects go in SpecTP. To sum that all up, every sentence is a T-phrase. The T-head of the T-phrase takes a VP as its complement.
What is Complementizer in syntax?
In English grammar, a complementizer is a word used to introduce a complement clause, including subordinate conjunctions, relative pronouns, and relative adverbs. For example, it functions as a complementizer in the sentence, “I wonder if she will come.”
What is a DP in syntax?
In linguistics, a determiner phrase (DP) is a type of phrase posited by virtually all modern theories of syntax. For example in the phrase the car, the is a determiner and car is a noun; the two combine to form a phrase.
What is S in syntax?
Points: The D-structure has all the same meaning elements as the S-structure but can be directly generated by the rules of merging (specifiers, heads, complements). The S-structure represents all the words of the actual sentence as pronounced in the order they are pronounced.
What is complementizer example?
How is the X bar theory used in a sentence?
X-bar theory graph of the sentence: “He studies linguistics at the university” (IP = inflectional phrase). The “IP” is an inflectional phrase. Its specifier is the noun phrase (NP) which acts as the subject of the sentence. The complement of the IP is the predicate of the sentence, a verb phrase (VP).
Which is the head of a X bar phrase?
According to x-bar theory, every phrase has a head. The head is the terminal node of the phrase. It’s the node that has no daughters. Whatever category the head is determines the category of the phrase. So if the head is a Noun, then our phrase is a Noun Phrase, abbreviated NP.
What does XP stand for in X bar theory?
X-bar theory. In English, however, this is still read as “X bar”. The notation XP stands for X phrase, and is at the equivalent level of X-bar-bar (X with a double overbar), written X″ or X 2, usually read aloud as X double bar .
How is X bar theory related to functional categories?
Functional categories. In its earlier formulations X-bar Theory was about projections of items from the lexicon, that is real words with meanings. Some of the grammar, such as tense and agreement, was left out. Later on ways were found of bringing functional categories into the same structure.