Syntax

"Words" are combined in a systematic way to make complicated structure — there are patterns.

linguists are seeking for "universality"
parts of speech - lexical catergories (or word classes, such as noun, verb...)
testing for categories :
1. Affixation : (-ed, -s) ⇒ verb
2. Distribution : ( ) likes dog ⇒ noun, singular third(?)
3. Meaning : refering to sth → (n) ; movement → (v) (but not always right)
Generative Rules : simplifying the elements in a sentence, and put optinal ones into parenthesis

eg. $S\rarr (DET)\space (ADJ)\space N\space V\space ((DET)\space (ADJ)\space N)$

forming noun phrase (?)

predict the "recursiveness" in languages
Functional Categories :

determiners (the, a)

conjunctions (and)

complimentizer (if, whether, that)

*preposition (to, for...) not sure in which group

constituents : grouping of words in a sentence

eg. [A Child] [found] [a puppy].

Some features :
1. Stand alone - could be used solely when responding questions
2. Replacement - could be subtituted by pronouns
3. Movement - could be rearranged
4. (but there are times when these methods fail)

Tree Structure

eg. N V N ⇒ [N] [[V] [N]], [[V] [N]] = VP

NP (noun phrase), replacement test with pronoun
VP (verb phrase)

reliable text : replace it with "did so"
adjectives & adverb are optional; or we say "adjunct"(or "modifier")
argument, complement : correlated to the verb in the sentence
1. Sally devoured the apple(the complement of "Sally").
2. I think that it's great(the sentimental complement of "I").
<aside> 🙈 Argument = Subject + Complement

</aside>
Prepositional phrase (PP) : needs an argument of NP
1. I ate dinner at the table.
2. Sally likes all cats with long hair.