ISSUES OF TRANSFORMATIONAL GENERATIVE GRAMMAR IN THE CONTEMPORARY

ISSUES OF TRANSFORMATIONAL GENERATIVE GRAMMAR IN THE CONTEMPORARY ENGLISH Usenova Almira 402 gr .

The general aim of this diploma paper is: • To investigate the issue of transformational grammar as from theoretical point of view, so from practical , and define the use of transformational rules, its peculiarities in the sentence.

In 1957, Chomsky postulated the Generative – Transformational Grammar. . . The objective is to construct models that would represent the psychological process of language. Noam Chomsky believed that grammar has recursive rules allowing one to generate grammatically correct sentences over and over.

Transformational grammar - is one of theories of natural language descriptions based on the assumption that the full range of proposals can be described by the implementation of certain changes or transformations over a certain set of basic sentences.

It is a declarative statement It is spoken with normal intonation It is always positive Kernel sentences The word order is always normal It`s main verb is always in the active voice. It contains no compounds

Birds fly. The boys run John loves Mary The meat costs a dollar.

• Chomsky indicated that meaning was largely irrelevant, as he illustrated in the sentence • Colourless green ideas sleep furiously

DEEP STRUCTURE – SURFACE STRUCTURE Ø Deep Structures represents the meaning of the sentence. Ø Surface Structures represents sentences that express those meanings (superficial appearance).

Consider the following sentences. . • John sang harmony • Harmony was sung by John These two sentences have the same deep structure but are expressed in different surface structure.

DEEP STRUCTURE – SURFACE STRUCTURE

THE SYNTACTIC COMPONENTS OF GRAMMAR 1. Phrase Structure Rules 2. Transformational Rules

Transformational Rules Two level of structures (deep and surface structures) are interrelated by a set of movement rules known technically as Transformations.

Types of Transformation 1. Obligatory Transformation 2. Optional Transformation

Transformation Obligatory Number Auxiliary Optional Particle Seperation Negative Word order transformation Question There expletive Passive transformation

Besides, there are some other transformations that are known as generalized Transformations: q Nominalizing Transformation q Conjunction Transformation q So-Transformation

Word order transformation Negative transformation Question transformation • The teacher of English literature and language was Isabel • About that I was probably mistaken • Not only do I enjoy classical music, but I also have a season ticket to the symphony. • She didn’t have permission to leave the house. • Nobody spoke to her or noticed her • You shouldn`t give up talking to them • Do you want to go and live with your father? • Who do you agree with, Naphta or Stembrini? • We thought there might be a letter from daddy, didn’t we?

Passive transformations Separation transformation There expletive transformation • Everybody, but Greta was equipped with friends, jokes, half secterts. • She was picked up by school bus • Then she threw her coat off. • The doctor picked her boots up and set them down in front of her. • There was a magazine then, called the Echo Answers • There was a knot of people in the archway, who were important

Deletion transformations • He stood waving. Smiling. Waving. • Greta laughed but Katy didn`t. Nominalization • She didn’t have permission to leave the house. • Investment in rail facilities implies a longterm commitment.

Frequency of usage of Transformational operation in Alice Munro`s “Dear Life” Transformational rules 16 7 18 69 29 37 42 37 38 Nominalization Word order Negative Kernel There expletive Question Particle Separation Deletion Passive

Usage of Nominalization 55 92 56 27 In Academic papers In conversation In lectures In letters

Teaching Nominalization(teaching design) Student group Student number Pre-teaching writing Six hours’ teaching Post-teaching writing Writing comparison Experimental group 8 Expository essay (1) (200 words) Teaching of nominalization Basic writing skills Expository essay (2) (200 words) (1) and (2) Expository essay Control group 8 Expository essay (1) (200 words) Basics writing skills Expository essay (2) (200 words) (1) and (2) Expository essay

The Comparison Between the Use of Nominalized Structures in the Pre-Teaching and Post-Teaching Writing C 1 C 2 C 3 C 4 C 5 Pre-teaching writing 1572/196. 6 103. 2/12. 9 10/1. 27 9. 8% 0. 64% Post-teaching writing 1540/192. 5 102/12. 83 34/4. 27 33. 32% 2. 15% Pre-teaching writing 1576/195. 9 103/12. 97 9/1. 17 8. 99% 0. 60% Post-teaching writing 1598/199. 8 104/13. 07 7/0. 97 7. 33% 0. 49% Group (8 students) Experimental Control

Inversion • In linguistics, inversion is any of several grammatical constructions where two expressions switch their canonical order of appearance, that is, they invert. • a. Fred will stay. • b. Will Fred stay? - Subject–auxiliary inversion with yes/no question • a. A unicorn will come into the room. • b. Into the room will come a unicorn. Subject–verb inversion • Never have I been more insulted! Seldom has he seen anything stranger. Time expressions: never, rarely, seldom. • Not only do I enjoy classical music, but I also have a season ticket to the symphony.

Teaching inversion

Conclusion • In theoretical part I have reached my aims and objectives. Examining the given topic in the existing works of linguists and grammarians like Noam Chomsky, D. Bornstein, Halliday and others I have understood the notion of Transformational grammar and its characteristics, the difference between deep and surface structures, peculiarities of optional and obligatory transformational rules of TGG. By researching these peculiarities, I could enlarge my knowledge on TGG. • From the post-teaching, the students had an awareness of using nominalization and inversion in their writing and speech, and their writing and speaking skills become more academic-orientated and formal than their pre-teaching.

Teaching inversion Student group Student number Listening and speaking Six hours’ teaching Practice Comparison Experimental group 8 Monologue (5 min) Teaching of Inversion Basic speaking skills Monologue 2 (5 min) (1) and (2) Speech Control group 8 Basics speaking skills Monologue (5 min) Monologue 2 (5 min) (1) and (2) Speech

Findings of the Comparison Between Pre-Teaching and Post-Teaching Experimental group Control group used inversion others used inversion other

Nominalized Phrase Succinct Revision failure fail nominalization nominalize investigation from investigate swimming from swim running from run editing from edit I need a change. (change= noun) I will change. (change= verb) Progress is important. (progress/'prɒɡrɛs/ = noun) Our plan must progress nicely. (progress/prə'ɡrɛs/ = verb) The use of drugs is dangerous. (use/'ju: s/ = noun) Use your fork! (use/'ju: z/ = verb)

Nominalization • Nominalization is the use of a nominal form to express a process meaning (Thompson, 1996). Nominalization is a process whereby a verb or an adjective is converted into a noun. • Example (1) The city government has decided to widen the road through this neighbourhood. This has upset the local residents. • Example (2) The city government’s decision to widen the main road though this neighbourhood has upset the local residents.