Unit 8 Syntax

Syntax Syntax deals with rules for combining words into sentences, as well as with relationship between elements in one sentence Basic syntactic unit – word; creation of phrases and sentences Sentence – the highest unit in syntax

Syntax Discourse analysis and text linguistics – deal with combination of sentences Phrase – groups of two or more grammatically connected words without subject – predicate relationship

Syntax Sentence is the biggest independent construction (or independent language form); the highest unit in syntax Sentence consists of one (simple sentence) or more clauses (complex sentence)

Syntax Coordination: clauses synactically equal, both independent: –I ran home and it got dark. Subordination: only one independent, and another dependent –While I was running home, it got dark. Sentences without subjects: imperatives (Come!), vocatives (Waiter!), shortened answers in dialogues (Where are you going? – Home)

Syntax Constituent analysis (konstituentna analiza): immediate constituents (appear on every level of analysis) and final constituents (the smallest units in one analysis) Analysis order: subject from predicate; attribute from noun; verb and prepositions from their objects, attribute from noun within verb object