Talk:X-bar theory
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Though this is an excellent explanation for x-bar syntax, I believe it does not encompass all of x-bar theory. I think there needs to be a seperate section for x-bar theory, x-bar syntax, and x-bar morphosyntax, as well as the different syntactic theories (i.e. minimalism, LFG, and so on).
I must disagree with the example sentence tree. It states that the "He studies linguistics at the university" is a verb phrase. This is incorrect - it is a complete sentence (or inflectional phrase, if you prefer). The noun phrase is not the specifier of the verb phrase, it is the specifier of the entire sentence. There is no specifier for the verb phrase in this case. However, it's always possible that I was simply raised with a different philosophy of X-bar Theory, and that saying a sentence is equivalent to a verb phrase is perfectly fine in other schools of thought. If someone wants to defend the usage here, I'm willing to discuss it. 129.2.211.72 04:54, 7 Oct 2004 (UTC)
I agree with User:129.2.211.72. Though I think that the NP is initially generated in the VP (as it is shown in the picture), but the NP raises to the SpecIP position. So, i think that we would need another graphic to show both the Deep and the Surface structure. --Javier Carro 11:07, 1 Jan 2005 (UTC)
By the way, I just began a stub in Wikibooks in order to write a module about Transformational grammar (wikibooks:User:Javier_Carro/Transformational_Grammar). Everybody is welcome there :) --Javier Carro 11:07, 1 Jan 2005 (UTC)
- The tree can't be incorrect, because X-bar theory is just a phrase structure schemata, not a theory of syntax in general. Most theories in transformational grammar either have the subject base-generated in Spec,IP, or base-generated in Spec,VP and then raised to Spec,IP (or the specifier of a functional projection in a split INFL). However, in Head-driven phrase structure grammar and probably some other theories, the subject remains in Spec,VP. I think the diagram is perfectly OK as it is, since we're not trying to describe any particular theory of syntax on this page. Cadr 09:19, 19 Apr 2005 (UTC)
-
- To clarify, I'm not saying that the current diagram is any more or less correct than the alternatives which have been proposed above. I just see no reason to change it given that it's already there. Cadr 09:21, 19 Apr 2005 (UTC)
Oh...I guess all this really needs is a good clarification...I'll try to do that now. -- Beland 06:30, 24 Apr 2005 (UTC)
[edit] NP → ?
NP
/ \
DetP N'
| |
Det' N
| |
Det cat
|
the
What evidence is postulated to demonstrate that there is a constituent Det' and DetP if you posit DetP as a specifier of NP?
I suggest:
DP
/ \
D'
/ \
the NP
/ \
N'
/ \
cat
where the is the head of DP and the NP is the complement of D; the specifier of DP is used for constructions such as
DP
/ \
DP D'
/ \ / \
D' 's NP
/\ / \
0 NP N'
/ \ / \
N' dad
/ \
John
Although this has the weakness of an unused NP Spec, this is at least prefered to having two vacuously branching nodes (or five, if you consider the way that this NP is drawn, with (superfluous) category labels branching to their heads).
(See: Abney, Steven (1987) The English Noun Phrase in its Sentential Aspect. Ph.D. dissertation, MIT.)
I strongly concur. While it is true that it's a moot point as many syntactitions feel X' is wrong, we can at least give the most advanced version (and the version the few who still follow it believe). Clay 07:44, 21 September 2006 (UTC)
[edit] Add reference to Jackendoff
I haven't learned to edit wikipedia entries yet, but for this one I think it should definitely be mentioned that X-bar theory was invented by Ray Jackendoff. The principal reference is: Jackendoff, Ray. 1977. X-bar-Syntax: A Study of Phrase Structure: Linguistic Inquiry Monograph 2. Cambridge: MIT Press. Barbara Partee 15:20, 14 March 2007 (UTC)
- Taken care of. Thanks for the reference, and feel free to contribute more to Wikipedia as you see fit. –jonsafari 21:29, 15 March 2007 (UTC)
