Question

In generative grammar, what does the 'deep structure' of a sentence refer to?

• A. The surface arrangement of words.
• B. The underlying, abstract representation of a sentence's meaning.
• C. The phonological form of the sentence.
• D. The historical origin of the sentence.

Answer 1

Answer:

B. The underlying, abstract representation of a sentence's meaning.

In Noam Chomsky's generative grammar, deep structure refers to the abstract, underlying representation of a sentence that carries its core meaning. Transformational rules convert this deep structure into the surface structure, which is the actual form of the sentence we speak or write. This concept is crucial for understanding how sentences with similar meanings can have different surface forms.