Question

The grammar that assigns " deep structure " and " surface structure" to show the relationship of sentences?

• A. Transformational grammar
• B. Phrase structure grammar
• C. Generative grammar
• D. Traditional grammar

Answer 1

Answer:

A. Transformational grammar

Transformational Grammar: Key Concepts and Relevance for Exams

• Core Idea: Transformational grammar, pioneered by Noam Chomsky, posits that sentences have two levels of structure:
• Deep Structure: Represents the underlying meaning or semantic relationships within a sentence. It shows the 'who did what to whom' aspects.
• Surface Structure: Represents the actual grammatical form or the order of words as they appear in the sentence.
• Transformations: Rules that convert deep structures into surface structures. Examples include:
• Wh-movement: Moving question words (e.g., 'who', 'what') to the beginning of a sentence to form questions. (e.g., Deep structure: 'John saw whom?' -> Surface structure: 'Whom did John see?')
• Passive transformation: Changing an active sentence into a passive one. (e.g., Deep structure: 'The cat chased the mouse' -> Surface structure: 'The mouse was chased by the cat.')
• Generative Grammar: Transformational grammar is a type of generative grammar, meaning it aims to generate all and only the grammatically correct sentences of a language.
• Chomsky Hierarchy: While not directly about deep/surface structure, Chomsky's work also led to the Chomsky Hierarchy, which classifies formal grammars based on their complexity and expressive power. This is relevant for understanding computational linguistics and formal language theory, often touched upon in advanced literature or linguistics exams.
• Impact on Linguistics: Revolutionized the field of linguistics by shifting focus from behaviorist approaches to a cognitive, rule-based understanding of language acquisition and structure.
• Exam Relevance: Questions in competitive exams often test the understanding of:
• The distinction between deep and surface structure.
• Examples of transformations and their effects on sentence structure.
• The theoretical underpinnings of Chomsky's model in contrast to other linguistic theories (e.g., structural linguistics).