A combination of generative and transformational syntax, which studies the underlying structures and rules of language.
Grammar: The study of the rules governing the structure and use of language.
Syntax: The study of the structure and formation of sentences in a language.
Transformational-Generative Grammar: The theory of grammar developed by Noam Chomsky that proposes that the structure of language is not simply a product of a learned set of rules, but rather a predetermined set of rules that are inherent in the human brain.
Deep structure: The underlying structure of a sentence that is transformed into the surface structure through various transformations.
Surface structure: The actual form of a sentence as it is spoken or written.
Constituent structure: The organization of a sentence into its various functional units, such as noun phrases, verb phrases, and clauses.
Phrase structure rules: The rules that govern the order and arrangement of words and phrases in a sentence.
Transformational rules: The rules that transform a sentence from its deep structure to its surface structure.
Syntactic ambiguity: The presence of two or more possible meanings in a sentence due to its grammatical structure.
Binding theory: The theory that explains how pronouns are linked to their antecedents in a sentence.
Government and Binding Theory: A model of syntax that expands upon the transformational-generative theory and includes the principles of binding theory, government, and the lexicon.
X-bar theory: A theory that describes the hierarchical structure of phrases in a sentence using a series of nested bars.
Minimalism: A theory of syntax that seeks to simplify the principles of Chomsky's earlier theories, reducing the number of rules and features.
Syntax and semantics: The study of the relationship between the grammatical structure of a sentence and its meaning.
Universal Grammar: The set of principles and rules that are common to all human languages, according to Chomsky's theory.
Transformational Grammar: The original generative theory developed by Noam Chomsky in the 1950s, which posits that underlying structures of language can be transformed into surface structures through a limited set of transformational rules.
Government and Binding Theory: An expansion of transformational grammar that emphasizes the importance of certain grammatical relationships, or "government", between words in sentences, and the role of the syntax in determining word order.
Minimalism: A further development of generative theory that seeks to simplify the rules of syntax and eliminate unnecessary features.
X-bar theory: A model of syntax that seeks to explain the structure of phrases by positing a hierarchy of layers, or "bars", with each layer providing a different level of abstraction.
Head-driven Phrase Structure Grammar: A syntax model that emphasizes the importance of the "head" of a phrase in determining its structure and properties.
Lexical Functional Grammar: A syntax model that separates the syntactic and semantic components of language, and posits that grammatical relations between words in sentences are determined by their "functional" roles.
Categorial Grammar: A syntax model that uses categories defined in terms of logical operators to describe the structure of sentences.
Construction Grammar: A syntax model that emphasizes the importance of larger units of meaning, or "constructions", in determining the structure of language.