Phrase Structure

1. Objectives:
Cognitive: Understand the different structure rules
in morphology.
Affective: Appreciate the effectiveness in
comprehensible structural rules in English language.
Psychomotor: Apply proper and correct rules in
constructing sentences in English language.

2. Review of the past Lesson
GAME: The Chalkboard Baseball

3. Phrase Structure Rules

4. Are rules which generate the basic underlying
structure of the sentence
The rules are arranged in a hierarchy so that
the first rule tells us the largest unit.
1. S NUC
The arrow means that the notion of S sentence is expanded (or rewritten
to include an obligatory sentence Nucleus (NUC)
S
NUC
Jun works here

5. 2. NUC NP AUX VP(Advl)
Jun works here.
S
NUC
NP AUX VP Advl
Jun works here

6. 3. The Noun Phrase
NP (det) N (pl)
pro
The braces to the right of the arrow indicate that
either “(det) N (pl) or (pro)” must be chosen, but
not both.

7. The boys work here.
S
NUC
NP AUX VP Advl
det N pl work here
the boy

8. NUC
NP
pro
they
If the sentence were “They work here.” the NP slot would be
filled by a pronoun.

9. She plays in the garden.
S
NUC
NP AUX VP Advl
pro plays in the garden
she

10. These relationship can be summed up in the following rule:
4. T
AUX M (PM) (perf) (prog)
IMPER
Auxiliary is AUX. it is made up of tense (T) or a modal(M) followed by the
other optional auxiliary elements: periphrastic modal(PM), and the
perfective(perf) and progressive(prog) aspects. (IMPER) stands for imperative,
a tenseless verb form in English.
Se have already knew that grammatical tense in English is either past or
present. This choice is stated in phrase structure rule 5.
5.
T past
present

11. 6. perf HAVE…EN
7. prog BE…ING
Leah is writing a story.
S
NUC
NP AUX VP
N T prog
Leah pres BE … ING write a story

12. Modals or Modal verbs
• An auxiliary verbs that expresses necessity or
possibility.
• English modal verbs includes:
May, might, must, shall, should, will, would, can,
could
• Periphrastic Modal – modals that composed of
several words. It is always preceded by LV or verb
BE.
- be going to, be able to, be allowed to or be
permitted to, have to
Structure: be…going to

13. Modal: Jane should bought a bag.
S
NUC
NP AUX VP
N T M V NP
Jane past should
buy det N
a bag

14. Periphrastic Modal: be…going to
S
NP AUX VP
det N pl T PM V NP
The boy pres be…going to buy det N
a food

15. Perf or Perfective
• Also referred to perfect tenses of the verb.
This is a grammatical form used to describe a
past event with present relevance or a present
state resulting to past situation
eg. I have taken it on the table, The girl has
bought a pencil.
Structure: have…en

16. perf
• The students have taken the examination.
S
NUC
NP AUX VP
det N T perf V NP
The student pl pres have…en take det N
the examination

17. Prog or Progressive verb
• A from of a verb tense used to show an ongoing
action in progress at some point in time.
It shows an action still in progress.
Three progressive tenses:
1. Present progressive. The cake is baking slowly.
2. Past progressive. The trees were waving back
and forth.
3. Future Progressive. The students will be taking
the exam.
Structure: be + -ing verb

18. prog
Leo is eating an apple.
S
NUC
NP AUX VP
N T prog V NP
Leo pres be…ing eat det N
an apple

19. Imper or imperative verb
• An imperative verb that creates an imperative
sentence that gives an order or command.
Eg. Buy a bag.
Take a medicine.
Give me the book.

20. Imper eg. Buy a bag.
S
NUC
NP AUX VP
ɸ imper V NP
buy det N
a bag

21. The girls danced tinikling.
S
NUC
NP AUX VP
det N pl T V NP
N
the girl past dance tinikling

22. He is going to paint a picture.
S
NUC
NP AUX VP
pro T PM
V NP
he pres be… going to
det N
a picture

23. A phrase structure rule that would allow us to account for all
such structural possibilities follows:
8. NP
AP
NP BE PP
V (NP) (PP)
The first three sentences could be accounted for by the following sub rules
contained within rule 8:
a. VP BE NP John is a teacher.
b. VP BE AP Alice is very pretty.
c. VP BE PP The students are here. (where P=0)

24. Phrase Structure Rules for Adverbial
Rule 9 provides us with three syntactic possibilities for each sentences.
Advl Cl
9. Advl PP
Advl P
An adverbial clause gets expanded to include an adverbial subordinator
followed by a new sentence.
10. Advl.Cl. Sub S

25. The boys left before the rain fell.
S
NUC
NP AUX VP Advl
Det N pl T V Advl Cl
The boy past leave Adv Sub S
before NUC
NP AUX VP
det N T V
the rain past fall

26. If a prepositional phrase had been selected
instead of an adverbial clause, the following rule
would be applied.
11. PP P NP

27. The girl works in the city.
S
NUC
NP AUX VP Advl
det N T V PP
the girl pres work P NP
in det N
the city

28. • The other possible expansion of the adverbial
is an adverbial phrase Advl P, which is
rewritten as follows:
12. Advl P (intents)ɳ Advl

29. The boys work very fast.
S
NUC
NP AUX VP Advl
det N pl T V Advl P
the boy pres work
Intens Advl
very fast

30. Assignment:
• Take time for advance reading about CHINESE
BOX, this is another grammatical structure
analysis.