Introduction to syntax
Who is the linguist most associated with modern syntactic theory?
Noam Chomsky
Knowledge of language in the mind of the speaker.
Competence
A group of words functioning as a unit.
Phrase
Semantic roles assigned to noun phrases.
Theta roles
Process where sentence elements change position.
Movement
The study of sentence structure is called __.
Syntax
Actual use of language in real situations.
Performance
What diagram shows sentence structure hierarchically?
Tree diagram / Phrase structure tree
Agent, theme, and experiencer are types of __.
Theta roles
What movement forms WH-questions?
WH-movement
Language is considered a __-specific human ability.
Species-specific
Who proposed the competence vs performance distinction?
Noam Chomsky
Syntax is based on __ structure, not linear order.
Hierarchical
Grammatical marking like nominative or accusative.
Case
Movement leaves a syntactic __ behind.
Trace
The mental system that allows humans to produce language.
Language faculty
Speech errors belong to __.
Performance
Tests used to identify sentence units.
Constituency tests
What principle requires noun phrases to have case?
Case Filter
Constraint limiting how far elements can move.
Subjacency
What type of approach studies language scientifically?
Theoretical / scientific approach
Competence represents the speaker’s internal __.
Grammar
Phrase structure is represented using __ rules.
Phrase structure rules
Case that is not always visible is called __ case.
Abstract case
What type of movement forms passive sentences?
NP-movement