Analyzing Syntax & Semantics Textbook: A Self-Instructional Approach for Teachers and Clinicians

CHAPTER 8 Sentence Complexities

CHAPTER 8 Sentence Complexities The preceding chapter on pronominalization introduced complexity of syntax resulting from the use of various kinds of pronouns. The primary operation involved was substitution of a pronoun for a noun phrase, although some pronominalizations involve substitution of a pronoun for a sentence or series of sentences. Pronominalization allows one to streamline communication by not having to repeat already known information. There are other transformations that make for complexity but serve another purpose, that of allowing for more flexibility in the 12xpression of meaning. In this chapter, three additional transformations are described: adverbial preposing, the intensifier, and the indirect object. The first of the modality changes is also included in this chapter. Modality changes were considered to be transformations in traditional generative transformational grammars. Current theory holds that when one intends to negate, question, or make a request, a transformation of a kernel sentence is not involved. Rather, the question, negative, or imperative utterance is encoded by modality changes applied in the deep structure. The modality changes involve different kinds of communications one uses in ~ddition to declarative statements. The first of these to be considered in the text is the imperative, which involves a request or order by the speaker to another person. Unit 1: Adverbial Preposing Objectives • Identify adverbials in sentences by specifying the type and indicating those that are shifted • Write sentences using the same adverb in different positions Reference was made in chapter 2 to the movability of adverbials. This characteristic of adverbials allows them to occur in different places in a sentence, provided that they need not remain in the predicate as complements of the verb. Ordinarily, the adverbials that can be preposed, or moved to a position before the verb, are those designating time, frequency, and manner. In language curriculums for hearing·impaired or other children who experience difficulties in acquiring language, a sentence pattern approach to syntax may be used. 73 74 SENTENCE COMPLEXITIES When this is the case, teachers attempt first to develop in the child a knowledge of subjectverb relationships and the corresponding semantic relationships_ The teacher gradually introduces adverbials, beginning with locative meaning and then temporal meaning after the child understands the subject-verb-object concept. The adverbials are usually kept at the end of the sentence, possibly because the locative is used first and there are more restrictions as to its movability. Children, however, should be exposed to the meaningful use of preposed adverbials because of the difficulty in specifying rules as to when and to what position adverbials may shift. Adverbial preposing is common with the time adverbials. basic sentence: Susan is arriving now. adverbial preposing: (a) Now Susan is arriving. (b) Susan is now arriving. (c) Susan now is arriving. The adverbial now is shifted (preposed) in (a) to the beginning of the sentence, in (b) between the auxiliary and the verb, and in (c) before the auxiliary. Not all adverbials of time will shift to more than one position as now does. Tomorrow it may rain. *Jt tomorrow may rain. On Monday, Grandmother will arrive. *Grandmother will on Monday arrive. As discussed in chapter 2, the adverbials of frequency are shiftable and more often come before the verb than at the end of the sentence. The baby cries often. Often the baby cries. The baby often cries. The baby will often cry. The one-word adverbials of frequency more readily shift to different positions than do those that are noun phrases or prepositional phrases. Every morning the boys are late. *The boys every morning are late. On Saturday mornings, my father plays golf. My father, on Saturday mornings, plays golf. ADVERBIAL PREPOSING 75 Although it is permissible to shift the prepositional phrase (as in My father, on Saturday mornings, plays gol!), we would tend not to because we must pause both before and after the adverbial. The one-word adverbials of manner (politely, quickly, sadly) also are shiftable to positions other than at the end of the sentence. Quietly, the boys left the room. The boys quietly left the room. The boys should quietly leave the room. Adverbials of manner that are prepositional phrases introduced by with or by are not as readily shiftable. In some instances, they may not be shifted, especially when the adverbial involves the semantic case instrument. *By train the boys arrived. *With a hairpin Mary opened the door. There are more restrictions applied to the movability...