Human Language Sentences - Basic Parse Trees, X-Bar Theory & Ambiguity

A short introduction to modern grammars of natural language. Use the fundamentals of generative grammar to learn about syntax (the grammar & rules of sentences). Follow along as I work through the structure of a simple sentence, building a parse tree for that sentence with X-Bar Theory. Learn to walk through the tree, compare types of structures and identify ambiguities. Basic but helpful for nonspecialists interested in computational grammars, the syntax of native & foreign languages, and natural language processing.

Online text version of this lesson:
http://www.nativlang.com/linguistics/grammar-xbar-lessons.php

To learn more about word classes and word formation (nouns, verbs, morphemes, affixes), please visit:
http://www.nativlang.com/linguistics/grammar-morphology-lessons.php

If you're rusty on the grammar of sentences (clauses, phrases, rules), please visit:
http://www.nativlang.com/linguistics/grammar-syntax-lessons.php

I mention two previous lessons during the video ("Introduction to the Grammar of Sentences" and "The Verb & Its Arguments"):
http://www.nativlang.com/linguistics/grammar-syntax-lessons.php
http://www.nativlang.com/linguistics/grammar-morphosyntax-lessons.php

Category:

Education

Tags:

• x-bar theory
• x bar theory
• parse tree
• parse trees
• sentence processing
• ambiguity
• ambiguities
• grammar
• syntax
• linguistics

[regan4000]

Aren't those 'modifiers' and not 'complements'? Doesn't the complement have to come after the article it's complementing???

[NativLang]

@regan4000 In 'the happy boss from Rome'?

I use the X-Bar definition of "complement": sister of the head. Left or right - this definition doesn't mandate position.

A semantic "modifier" may act as a specifier (non-head daughter of phrase), complement (sister of head) or adjunct (daughter+sister of intermediate node).

Examining more data, we might conclude that the AP 'happy' is a specifier of the NP (Cinque 2005) and that 'from Rome' acts as a noun complement, not an adjunct (Collins 2003).

[NativLang]

@regan4000 I may rework my presentation of complements and specifiers. They assume knowledge of terms like "daughter nodes" and "sibling nodes", which I did not introduce.

Thank you for your question.

Consider the following search terms for more info:

"specifiers, complements and adjuncts"

+"adjunct rule" +"complement rule"

"typology of syntactic dependents"

[ThysaniaAg]

Very nicely set up and narrated. Reminds me of my college days. : )

[NativLang]

@ThysaniaAg Thank you. I appreciate this style myself, which is why I've learned to use it in my videos!

[MrKameye]

very interesting video. could you please explain more about x-bar theory

[NativLang]

@MrKameye I hope to do more videos on this subject. Glad to hear you find it interesting.

[oneeyedboxer]

Great video and well explained, Can you please do a video on statistical parsing.

[smaha88]

Very helpful, a little muddled around the part with the head, complements and specifiers, but great video!