Thinking about valency and sentence structure

Part of Dick Hudson's web tutorial on Word Grammar

How to view this tutorial

• As with the previous tutorial, you must watch the slideshow, not 'normal' view.– To do this, hit f5 or click 'View', then 'slideshow'.

• Move through the show by hitting either 'Enter' or 'Page Down'– so-called 'Page down' just moves down one line.

• 'Page Up' takes you back a line.• `Exit' takes you out of the slideshow.

Main points

• Syntactic analysis combines:– the valencies of individual words

• micro-analysis

– the meaning of the whole sentence• macro-analysis

• Think global and act local!– analyse one word at a time– but remember the rest of the sentence.

• I like this grammar course. n V,t n N N• Focus on this:

– valency: a common noun as complement

• Question: which N is its complement?– Ask: 'This what?

• This grammar?• This course?

For example, …

cN

I like this grammar course.

I like this grammar course.

c

c

Confirming your analysis

• this grammar: – But what does course depend on?– And where's the determiner that course needs?

• this course:– What does grammar depend on?

• course:

– So this analysis is right.

I like this grammar course.

I like this grammar course.

c

c

I like this grammar course.

c

a+

Some principles

• Respect meaning– Choose analyses that fit the sentence's meaning.

• Respect syntax– Choose analyses that satisfy the dependency

needs of neighbouring words.

• Analyse easy words first– Their analyses will help with harder words.

• Then work back from the last word!

For example, …

• I saw the man with the telescope.• Uncertainty:

– saw with?– man with?

• Both are OK syntactically– WITH can depend on V or on N

• But they give different meanings.– So what does the sentence mean, in context?

I saw the man with the telescope.+a

I saw the man with the telescope.+a

In contrast, …

• The man with the telescope saw me.• Uncertainty:

– saw with?

– man with?

• Saw with isn't allowed syntactically– WITH always follows its parent

• Except when front-shifted before the man: – With the telescope, the man saw me

• So only one analysis is possible: man with

The man with the telescope saw me.+a

The man with the telescope saw me.+a

Starting at the end

• The last word probably has no dependent.– Most words follow their parent.

• And it probably depends on the word just before it.– Most words are next to their parent.

I 've bought a book about food in France.

For example, …

c+ac+acops

s France needs a parent.

In needs a complement noun.

A perfect match!

In needs a parent noun ….

Food is a noun.

A perfect match!

Food needs a parent.

About needs a complement noun.

A perfect match!About needs a parent (e.g. noun)

Book is a noun.

A perfect match!

Book needs a parent pronoun.

The pronoun a needs a complement common noun.

A perfect match!A needs a parent.

Bought needs an object noun.

A perfect match!

Bought needs a parent HAVE.

've needs a predicative perfect participle.

A perfect match!

've needs a subject noun.

I needs a parent finite verb.

A perfect match!'ve has a subject.

Its predicative needs a subject to share.

A perfect match!

've needs no parent.

So it's perfect without one!

Harder cases

• If you really can't see how a word fits in, just leave it without a dependency.– Maybe later sections will show you the way.

• Respect existing dependency arrows.– They help by limiting your options – But of course they may be wrong – check them!

For example, …

The fact that it rained didn't spoil the party.

Start at the end.

cop

To warm up, add word classes.

n N t n V,a v,a V,n n N

Do any remaining easy dependencies.

c s

Add incomplete dependencies in pencil.

sc

Pair valent and parent '?'s, starting in the middle.

? ? ? ? ? ?

Find adjuncts' parents.

Avoid crossing arrows!

s

No! Crossed arrows aren't allowed!

cs

Possible, but what about the fact?

s

+a

Tidy up …

Tidying up

The fact that it rained didn't spoil the party.cop

n N t n V,a v,a V,n n N

c s

cs

+a

Confirm pencilled dependencies.

Find a finite verb that has no parent, and mark it as sentence root.

?

Add syntactic triangles for predicatives.

s

cs

+a

Good luck!

• Finding dependencies is the hardest part of syntactic analysis.

• But it's also the most interesting, because – it's challenging– it shows how words express complex meanings– you may learn some new tricks for your own

use of syntax.