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Lesson 4: Phrase Structure Rules

Definition: 

Phrasal structure rules are like building blocks for sentences, defining how words and phrases fit together. They describe the structure of a sentence in a hierarchical way, with smaller parts combining to form larger ones. Imagine a tree with branches representing different parts of a sentence. Phrasal structure rules help us understand which words or phrases can go where and how they create meaning. These rules use symbols to represent different types of language elements, like nouns or verbs, and show how these elements can be put together. They also allow for repetition and flexibility in constructing sentences. So, they're like the grammar rules that guide how we organize words to express our thoughts clearly and effectively.

Key Concepts

  • Phrases: A phrase is a closed grammatical unit of the size between a word and a clause. You can think of phrases like puzzle pieces that fit into sentences to make them clear and meaningful. Phrases are made up of a head, which defines their grammatical nature e.g.; in ‘the old man’, the man (noun) is the head of the noun phrase.

  • Phrase structure grammar: Phrase structure grammar is generative – meaning that it helps us form new sentences

  • Phrase structure rules: There are several phrase structure rules that help us combine words into various types of phrases (noun phrase NP, verb phrase VP, adverb phrases AdvP, etc.) and then also help us assemble these phrases to form complete sentences. 

Heads up:

As phrase structure rules are generative, they are closely linked to the creation of our own and new sentences. In order to demonstrate how these rules affect our use of language, we are going to start off this lesson by creating our own sentences. It might be helpful to keep your procedure in sentence construction in mind, especially when working on Unit 1 later on.

syntax pic 12.png

Activity 1:

 

Use words from the ‘Word-Box’ to create four sentences. Feel free to modify words according to your needs. E.g. changing 'drink' to 'drinks' is completely fine.  Experiment with different phrase length and structure, but make sure to use a minimum of five words per sentence!

Remember that these are just a few possible solutions. Your sentences can look completely different A) I have a very shy dog. B) The bald chef wants shiny hair. C) Yesterday, my brother was talking loudly. D) Our new house is being built in the big city.

Learning Unit: What is a Phrase Structure Rule?

 
Phrase structure rules are used in generative grammar to describe the hierarchal structure of sentences and phrases in a language. Generative refers to the idea that these rules can be used to generate sentences, meaning that you can use phrase structure rules as a ‘blueprint’ to create your own sentence. The idea of a phrase structure rule is generally pretty simple. For each structure that a syntactic category (noun/verb etc.) can have, we write that down as a rule. In English grammar, a sentence is usually built by using a noun phrase which is followed by a verb phrase, thus we write the phrase structure rule:
S -> NP VP.
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S -> NP VP means that a S (sentence) constitutes of a NP (noun phrase) and a VP (verb phrase). The NP comes before the VP (linear order). You can continue this thought process and ask yourself: what is a NP? / what is a VP? and so on. You will find some of the most essential phrase structure rules in the English language below.​​
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syntax tree.jpg

 

Using the rules above as components to form a full phrase, you can form a complete syntax tree of the sentence:

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Syntax Tree complete.jpg

 

As you might have noticed from looking at the example of the full sentence, PPs, AdjPs and AdvPs are usually under the umbrella of a NP or a VP.

Keep in mind that these are solely some of the most fundamental phrase structure rules in English grammar, which can be further expanded in the case of a more complex and nuanced sentence.

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Activity 2:

 

Identify the phrase structure of the sentences which you created at the beginning of the lesson. 

Illustrate the structure of your sentences using syntax trees, similar to the example above.

Click the button below for examples of our own sentences and syntax trees!

syntax pic 13.png

Final thought for this lesson

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  1. Understanding Sentences: I now know how sentences are put together and that there's a method to analyze them.

  2. Thinking Analytically: Breaking down sentences has improved my analytical skills and attention to detail.

  3. Syntax Trees: I have learned a specific method of breaking down a sentence into its smaller components.

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Bibliography:

Carnie, A. (2021). Syntax: A generative introduction. John Wiley & Sons.

Kim, J. B., & Sells, P. (2008). English syntax: An introduction. Stanford, CA: CSLI publications.

McHugh, A. (n.d.). An intro to phrase structure rules. Linguistics Network. Retrieved October 12, 2023, from https://www.linguisticsnetwork.com/an-intro-to-phrase-structure-rules/

Shapiro, L. P. (1997). Tutorial: An introduction to syntax. Journal of Speech, Language, and Hearing Research, 40(2), 254-272.

Van Valin, R. D. (2001). An introduction to syntax. Cambridge university press.

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