UG Class 2 | On Specifiers, Heads and Complements

Summary

This linguistics lecture focuses on generative grammar from a minimalist approach, reviewing sentence formation and introducing new concepts. It discusses how phrases are formed with heads and complements, and the role of the specifier in creating maximal projections. The lecture explores argument structure, explaining how verbs like 'like' have thematic roles for their arguments. It concludes by emphasizing the binary nature of phrase formation and the syntactic-semantic relationship in clause structure.

Takeaways

• 📚 The class focuses on generative grammar from a minimalist approach, aiming to clarify concepts from the first class and introduce new categories and operations.
• 🔄 Review of sentence formation, specifically the verb phrase, and the process of merging constituents like the verb 'like' and the noun 'tennis'.
• 🏓 The importance of the head-first nature of English, where the head of the phrase (the verb) comes before the complement.
• 🤔 The necessity of a predicator in a sentence, which predicates an action or state, and the introduction of the concept of 'argument structure'.
• 🎾 The verb 'like' requires an object (tennis), which is referred to as the theme, and the pronoun 'I' as the experiencer of the liking.
• 🕒 The role of the T head (tense) in anchoring the verb phrase in time, forming a T prime, which is an intermediate projection.
• 🌐 The merging of T prime with the specifier 'I' to form a TP (tense phrase), which represents a complete clause.
• 🔑 The binary nature of phrase formation: either head + complement or head + complement + specifier.
• 🧠 The existence of two types of roles in argument structure: the theme (object of liking) and the experiencer (the one who likes).
• 🔑 The TP (Tense Phrase) is considered the formal way of discussing clauses, suggesting it's not the end of the phrase structure but part of a larger syntactic structure.

Q & A

What is the main focus of the second class on generative grammar Chomskyan linguistics?

The main focus is to review concepts from the first class and introduce new categories and operations involved in deriving sentences.

How does the formation of a sentence begin according to the script?

It begins with the formation of a verb phrase, which is created by merging constituents like the verb 'like' and the noun 'tennis'.

What is the significance of the phrase 'head-first language' mentioned in the script?

In a head-first language like English, the head of a phrase or clause comes before its complement.

What does the script suggest about the verb 'like' in the sentence 'I like tennis'?

The verb 'like' is a predicator that denotes an emotion and requires an object, which in this case is 'tennis'.

What is the role of the pronoun 'I' in the sentence structure discussed in the script?

The pronoun 'I' serves as the specifier that indicates the entity experiencing the emotion of liking.

How does the concept of 'T' (tense) fit into the formation of a sentence according to the script?

The verb phrase becomes the complement of the T head, forming a T prime, which then needs to be merged with a specifier to anchor the sentence in time.

What is the difference between a phrase and a maximal projection according to the script?

A phrase is formed by a head and a complement, while a maximal projection requires an additional specifier to complete the structure.

What is the term used for the intermediate projection formed when T (tense) merges with a verb phrase?

The intermediate projection formed is called T prime.

What does the script imply about the universality of binary operations in syntax?

The script implies that all operations in syntax are binary, either involving a head and a complement or a head, a complement, and a specifier.

What is the relationship between syntactic structure and argument structure as discussed in the script?

The syntactic structure of a clause has a semantic counterpart called argument structure, which involves predicators and their arguments with specific roles.

How does the script differentiate between the roles of 'tennis' and 'I' in the sentence 'I like tennis'?

The script differentiates by assigning 'tennis' the role of theme (the object being liked) and 'I' the role of experiencer (the entity experiencing the liking).

Outlines

00:00

📚 Introduction to Generative Grammar

This paragraph introduces the second class on generative grammar from the minimalist approach in Chomskyan linguistics. The instructor reviews concepts from the first class and aims to clarify them further while introducing new categories and operations involved in sentence derivation. The focus is on the formation of sentences, specifically the verb phrase, and the instructor explains the process of merging constituents like the verb 'like' and the noun 'tennis'. The concept of 'head-first' language is introduced, indicating that in English, the head of a phrase comes before its complement. The paragraph sets the stage for a deeper discussion on argument structure.

05:03

🕒 Sentence Formation and Tense

In this paragraph, the instructor delves into the formation of sentences by discussing the role of the tense head 'do' in English. The verb phrase 'like tennis' is shown to merge with the tense head to form T' (T prime), which anchors the sentence in time, specifically the present. The instructor emphasizes the need for a specifier to indicate the entity experiencing the action, which is the pronoun 'I'. The paragraph concludes with the formation of a TP (Tense Phrase), which represents a complete clause. The summary highlights the binary nature of phrase formation, either through head-complement or head-complement-specifier.

10:06

🔍 Deeper Analysis of Phrase Formation

The third paragraph continues the discussion on phrase formation, emphasizing the binary nature of operations in syntax as dictated by universal grammar principles. The instructor reviews the concepts of heads, complements, and specifiers, and how they form phrases. The paragraph introduces the idea of argument structure, explaining the roles of the verb 'like' as a predicator with two arguments: 'tennis' as the theme and 'I' as the experiencer. The instructor clarifies that not all verbs are transitive and that there are different theta roles for arguments.

15:08

🌟 Conclusion and Invitation for Feedback

The final paragraph summarizes the key points discussed in the class, including the two methods of forming phrases and the roles of different grammatical elements in sentence structure. The instructor invites students to ask questions and provide feedback to improve future classes. The paragraph ends with a call to action for students to like, share, and subscribe to the channel for updates, emphasizing the importance of interaction and clarification of concepts.

Keywords

💡Generative Grammar

Generative Grammar is a linguistic theory that aims to understand the structure of human language by describing the underlying rules that allow speakers to produce an infinite number of sentences. In the video, generative grammar is the overarching framework within which the discussion of sentence formation and linguistic structures takes place.

💡Chomskyan Linguistics

Chomskyan Linguistics refers to the theories and approaches to linguistics developed by Noam Chomsky. It emphasizes the innate structure of language and the universal grammar that all humans share. The video discusses concepts like phrase structure and argument structure, which are central to Chomsky's theories.

💡Minimalist Approach

The Minimalist Approach is a more recent development in Chomskyan linguistics that seeks to simplify the theory by reducing the number of grammatical operations and principles. The video mentions this approach as the lens through which the class is examining generative grammar.

💡Formation of Sentences

The formation of sentences is the process by which words are combined to create meaningful expressions. The video discusses how phrases are formed and how they contribute to the creation of sentences, using 'like tennis' as an example.

💡Verb Phrase

A verb phrase is a group of words that includes a verb and its associated arguments. In the video, the verb phrase 'like tennis' is analyzed to show how it is formed by combining the verb 'like' with its complement 'tennis'.

💡Head-First Language

Head-First Language refers to languages where the head of a phrase (like a verb or noun) comes before its complement. English is described as a head-first language in the video, which influences the order in which phrases are formed.

💡Argument Structure

Argument Structure is the arrangement of elements that are required by a verb or predicate to form a complete clause. The video discusses how the verb 'like' requires an object (tennis) and a subject (I) to complete its argument structure.

💡Predicator

A predicator is the main verb in a sentence that predicates something about the subject. In the video, 'like' is identified as the predicator because it is the verb that requires a complement to form a complete meaning.

💡Specifier

A specifier is an element that provides additional information about the head of a phrase, often indicating time, place, or the subject of the sentence. The video explains how the pronoun 'I' serves as a specifier in the sentence 'I like tennis'.

💡Tense Phrase (TP)

Tense Phrase (TP) is a syntactic structure that includes a verb phrase and a tense marker, indicating when the action of the verb takes place. The video describes how TP is formed by combining a verb phrase with a tense marker like 'do'.

💡Theta Role

Theta Role refers to the role that an argument of a verb plays in a sentence, such as agent, patient, or theme. The video discusses how 'tennis' has the theta role of 'theme' and 'I' has the theta role of 'experiencer' in the sentence 'I like tennis'.

Highlights

Review of generative grammar and Chomskyan linguistics from the minimalist approach.

Introduction to the formation of sentences and verb phrases.

Explanation of how phrases are formed by merging constituents.

Discussion on the head-first nature of English language.

Introduction to the concept of predicator and its role in sentence formation.

Explanation of argument structure and its relation to verb semantics.

The necessity of an entity to sense the emotion denoted by a verb.

Formation of a verb phrase and its progression towards a sentence.

Introduction to the T head and its role in anchoring a sentence in time.

Formation of T prime by merging the verb phrase with the T head.

Explanation of intermediate projections in sentence structure.

The role of specifiers in completing the clause structure.

Formation of a tense phrase (TP) by merging T prime with a specifier.

Two ways of forming phrases: head-complement or head-complement-specifier.

Binary nature of operations in syntax according to the principle of binary branching.

Introduction to argument structure and its semantic counterpart.

Explanation of theta roles: theme and experiencer in the context of verb 'like'.

Discussion on the variability of arguments in verbs.

Invitation for feedback and questions to improve future classes.

Transcripts

[Music]

hi there this is our second class on

generative grammar chomskyan linguistics

from the minimalist approach so what we

will do today is to review some of the

things that we have said and then we

will move on to discuss issues that we

have not discussed so far by the end of

the class I hope that what we said in

class 1 would be clearer and that we can

get familiarize with some new categories

and operations that take place when we

derive sentences of course there will be

lot of questions by the end of the class

but hopefully enough there will be

things that will be much clearer so let

us start reviewing some of the things

that we have said the first thing I

would like to state today is and to

review today is the fact that we talked

about the formation of sentences and

basically we analyzed the way in which

we form were phrases we concentrated on

the verb phrase like tennis and we said

that phrase is formed by put into

constituents together

more specifically the word like which

belongs to the category category verb

and the noun tennis and we said well we

should go bald merging that is pulling

constituents together in this fashion

given the fact that English is a head

first language there is very mind that I

head first what we are saying is that in

the derivation of the sentence the

element that is the head in this case

the predicator

like we will discuss the category

predicator in a minute the

educator like should be placed on the

left there is what we call head first

that is the head goes on the left

it comes first and the complement tennis

comes right after the predicator head

verb like to form the verb phrase like

tennis but you might be thinking this is

nowhere near a sentence it is a phrase

okay there is nowhere near a sentence

and you're right that's where we are

trying to get so what we are saying here

is that so far we get a verb phrase and

today we will start discussing argument

structure and we will say the following

they were like semantically is a verb

that denotes some kind of emotion

something that we sense something that

happens to us and the world light

requires an object we're going to say

that tennis is the object of our liking

so basically the sentence is predicating

like him that is the reason why the verb

like is called predicator

and it's gonna have a compliment or

object which we will call argument our

argument will be called theme more about

this in the near future so so far

basically what we are saying is that we

like we predicate like in something and

this something is called the theme the

thing that we like but we get a problem

here because we have a predicator

we have a complement and we know that if

we want to predict ate like him we also

need an entity that will sense the

liking an entity that will experience

the liking and that entity is in this

case the pronoun I it is I do like

tennis which is higher up in the

structure

the higher up we mean okay probably

wanted to review this we go from bottom

to top and from right to left in our

derivation of the sentence so when I say

higher up basically what I mean is if

you think of the sentence in a linear

fashion what comes first right with and

first it's a first gear is up in the

middle we get a whole other constituent

and that's where we're going now right

we need also to anchor our sentence in

some time in some temporal space so what

we will say is the following that the

verb phrase that we have formed will now

become the complement of the T head do

so we will say this very slowly

the word the obsolete verb do is or

functions as the head the T had the

tense head in a space that we will call

T prime so when we put T and verb phrase

together we do not form a teepee as you

may have expected but will form a T

prime will the T prime by saying T Prime

what we're saying is our predication

like tennis has merged with tense that

is it is now anchored in time and we

know that that time is the present or we

can talk about it's typically called

present but here by present we mean some

sort of a temporal time even if it

sounds paradoxical because we do not

mean I like tennis now I mean a simple

like tennis like all the time so we're

anchoring our sentence our predication

in time but we need to specify

which the entity that the will

experience the likeness and here the

entity that is experiencing the liking

is the pronoun i' which is higher up in

the structure in a label tree diagram as

it's clear from our picture so again t

merges with vp to form T prime T Prime

we will say is an intermediate

projection so every time we merge every

time we make our tree grow we are

projecting a bigger structure and we are

heading towards the completion of the

clause so in order to complete the

clause we need to specify which the

entity who experiences the liking who

senses who has this emotion of

likingness and that entity is the pranam

eye which the whole thing I like in

tennis is anchored in the present time

so again when we merge T or tense head

again at first and the verb phrase we

form an intermediate projection T prime

which will be complete after we have

again merged T Prime with a specifier

when we merge T Prime

with a specifier pranam I there is a

category I a word I there is a

constituent and belongs to a category

pronoun we will specify when the liking

took place and the liking of what took

place and we know that the liking is the

liking of tennis only then will we have

a complete course and so we will say

that our clause is a teepee so again

let's go from bottom to top

v merges with an to form a V phrase a

verb phrase

verb phrase becomes the complement of T

the head T to form a T prime T prime

requires that we specify when the state

or sensing I don't want to say action

because it's basically not an action

when the experiencing of like in tennis

took place that that is in the present

but we need to specify who experiences

or senses disliking and that would be

the pronoun I that's why we need to

merge the prawn on I which is specifier

hence the entity that specifies who

undergoes the liking of tennis now do in

the present to form a TP so TP is

basically the acronym the abbreviation

that we will use for tense phrase and we

will say that it TP that a tense phrase

is basically the formal way the chemical

way in which we will talk about clauses

in the future we will argue the clauses

are nasty visible CPS but so far we have

been able to make arguments in favor of

the TP analysis okay so let us draw some

conclusions from what we have just said

if last class we said that by printing a

verb like and a compliment tennis

together we form the verb phrase what

we're saying is that we need to perform

a very simple merger operation whereby a

verb merges with a compliment to form a

phrase but now things are getting a bit

more complicated because when we get to

tea head merging with VP we do not get a

phrase we do not get a maximal

projection we had an intermediate

projection and the reason is that we

need a specifier to tell us who has

undergone the liking of tennis in the

present that specifier is I and it is

only then that we form the teepee

conclusion there are two ways in which

we can form phrases head plus compliment

forms a phrase so you put a head and

compliment you form the phrase that's

option number one or option number two

you put a head

you put a compliment you form an

intermediate projection in this case T

Prime and then you need a specifier to

form a maximal projection in this case

TP these are the two ways in which we

can form phrases so there's something

interesting about this namely the fact

that there are two ways we said last

class that there is something called

principle or that there are principles

that pertain Universal grammar one of

the principles in question is by

narrative so all operations are binary

as we will see there is merger and there

is movement more about that in the

future and the ways in which we can form

phrases are also binary because it's

either head compliment or head

compliment specifier so again it's

either head compliment or head

compliment specifier so that's binary

the reasons why that is the case will be

explored in future classes so today it

is important to have learned that that

is the case they have mentioned they

have pointed out that there are two ways

of forming phrases and in the future we

will further explore the reasons why

there is the case so let us review some

of these things that we have said today

very quickly we reviewed the fact that

there are heads and compliments to form

phrases and that all words are

constituents belonging to categories

that have a function in the formation of

phrases namely heaven compliment that's

what we said last class and today we

have added a whole other function namely

specifier that leads to the argument

that there are two ways of forming

phrases head compliment or head

compliment specifier there is the second

claim we have main and the third claim

that we have made is that the syntax of

the sentence there is the syntactic

structure of the clause will have a

semantic counterpart which we will call

argument structure and that's basically

what we said when we said that the verb

like is the predicator and as all acts

of liking the world like requires an

object to be liked tennis and a if you

allow me the neologism a like her a

sensor or more technically an

experiencer of the action like so the

predicator like will have an argument

tennis with a theta or theta role theme

and the whole other argument the

specifier I with a whole other theta

role that is called experiencer so the

world like is a predicator and it's got

two arguments therefore is called a tube

placed verb there is a verb with two

arguments and each argument will have a

role to play the argument tennis is the

thing that is being liked therefore it

is called the theme and the specifier I

is a sensor like her if you like or

experiencer of

the emotion like and it will therefore

receive that states are old city role it

may be pronounced either way theta theta

depending on the dialect okay so a lot

of things I guess are clearer and I

guess that you got a lot of questions

like well I want to go deeper into

argument structure I don't know if there

are if all words are to placed verbs if

all words have two arguments

the answer's no some words have one

argument they may have three arguments

there is something we will discuss in

the future we will also see that there

are other fatal roles however what we

will state here is that there are only

two ways of forming phrases head

complement number one a compliment

specifier number two and we want to know

also if TP is the end of the phrase or a

some rifles claim there is a CB lair a

complement isolate lever and there is

something that we will discuss next

class if you liked your class it would

be great if you could like share it with

fellow students also it would be great

if you subscribe to our channel so that

we can keep you posted and get you the

latest updates and last but not least it

is important to mention that all

comments and questions are welcome

because we want to have some sort of

interaction with our all the answer that

we can clarify things that probably were

not clear from our analysis all kinds of

feedback are welcome so that we can make

improvements for our classes and our

videos thanks for listening see you in

class number three

bye bye

[Music]

you