Transformational Generative Grammar

What is Transformational Generative Grammar?

Transformation Generative Grammar (TGG) answered several questions that the structuralists
had left unanswered. Structuralism is not cognizant of the fact of competence of a native speaker of the
language to produce an infinite number of sentences. Language is productive and complex. A sentence
has a deep structure and surface structure. It is the result of several transformations applied to a deep
structure (a kernel sentence) that one arrives at the surface structure of a sentence. TG grammar shows
this inter-relatedness between different sentences. It also helps to remove ambiguities between sentences
that appear identical but are transforms from different Kernels.
Diagrams:
s

Deep structure Suriya kicks the ball

Surface structure Suriya kicks the ball

s

Deep structure Suriya passive kicks the ball

Passive transformation

Surface structure The ball is kicked by Suriya

In these examples we can see a likeness between the two sentences they are derived from the
same deep structure. The difference is due to the effect of a transformation which we shall call
passivissation that is applied in the second derivation and not the first.
VP -- > (passive) + Vt + NP
S

NP VP

Suriya passive Vt NP
ball

the ball by Suriya

was
The ball was kicked by Suriya
 The old bus broke down
Deep structure [the bus [the bus was old] broke down]

Relative transformation

[the bus [which was old] broke down]

be-deletion transformation

[the bus [old] broke down]

Adjective movement transformation

Surface structure The old bus broke down

The old bus broke down can be put through the transformation to
obtain the following surface structure The bus which was old broke down.
The transformational process can be described as follows:
if an NP + S sequence occurs, dominated by an NP, and if that S dominates
an NP whose referent is the same as the NP in the NP + S sequence, then the
dominated NP ultimately becomes either who or which. This is known as relative
transformation.
S

NP VP
broke down
NP S

Det. N NP VP

The bus det. N was old

the bus
relative transformation

which
The bus which was old broke down.
All sentences in every language have both a deep structure and a surface structure. It is the deep
structure of a sentence that tells us what the speaker means by the sentence and it is the surface structure
that shows how he actually uses it in communication, a transformation functions as a link between the
deep structure of a sentence and its surface structure.
Revision of Basic English Sentence (Tree Diagrams)
Indicating the elements of basic English sentences by using tree diagrams
Tree diagrams.
1. Monthong is a student.
S

NP VP

N Aux. MV

Nprop. Tense be NP

Present Det Art N

Indef. Ncom.

Count.

Monthong -s be a student
String : Monthong + - s + be + a + student.
T Af : Monthong + be + - s + a + student.
Phonological rule : Monthong is a student.
Note: Phonological rules operate in the production of the actual sentence.
2 He was young. S

NP VP

N Aux. MV

Npp. Tense be Adj.

PP3 past

He - be young
String : He + + be + young. ==== >
T Af : He + be + young.
Phonological rule : He was young.
3. Somebody is in the class S

NP VP

N Aux MV

Nindef. Tense be adv-p

present

somebody be in the class.

String : Somebody + -s + be + in the class. ==== >
T Af : Somebody + be + -s + in the class.
Phonological rule : Somebody is in the class.
4. The girl has gone.
S

NP VP

Det. N Aux. MV

Art Ncom. Tense Aspect Verbials

Def. Count. present have + part VI

Vi1

The girl -s have - go

String : The +girl + -s + have + + go. ==== >
T Af : The + girl + have + -s + go + .
Phonological rule : The girl has gone.
5.Some of these boys wrote letters. S

NP VP

Det. N Aux. MV

Pre Art Demon N.com. Tense MV

D1 count past VT NP

Vt Det. N

Art. N.com

Indef. Count.

Some of these boys write letters.

String : Some of + these + boys + + write + + letters. ==== >

T Af : Some of + these + boys + write + + + letters.
Phonological rule: Some of these boys wrote letters.
6. Some of these two girls remain beautiful.
S

NP VP

Det N Aux. MV

Pre Art Demon Num Ncom Tense Verbal

D1 Num.C count present Vb Adj.

Some of these two girls remain beautiful.

String : Some of + these + two + girls + + remain + beautiful. ==== >

T Af : some of + these + two + girls + remain + beautiful.
Phonological rule: Some of these two girls remain beautiful.
7. Three students become teachers.
S

NP VP

Det. N. Aux. MV

Art. Num. N.com. Tense Verbals

Indef. Num.C. count present Vb NP

Det. N

Art. N.com.

Indef. count.

three students become teachers

String : + three + students + + become + + teachers. ==== >

T Af : + three + students + become + + + teachers.
Phonological rule: Three students become teachers.
8. A lot of the women had been here. S

NP VP

Det N Aux. MV

Pre Art Art N.com Tense Aspect be Adv-p

Def. Count past have part

A lot of the women have -en be here

String : A lot of + the + women + + have + -en + be + here. ==== >

T Af : A lot of + the + women + have + + be + -en + here.
Phonological rule: A lot of the women had been here.
9. They look handsome. S

NP VP

N Aux. MV

Npp. Present Verbal

PP 3 look handsome

They look handsome.

String : They + + look + handsome. ==== >
T Af : They + look + + handsome.
Phonological rule: They look handsome.
1 It costs four dollars.
S

NP VP

N Aux. MV

Npp Tense Verbal

PP 3 present Vh Np

Det N

Art Num Ncom

Indef Num C count

It -s cost four dollars

String : It + -s + cost + - + four + dollars. ==== >

T Af : It + cost + -s + - + four + dollars.
Phonological rule: It costs four dollars.