المحاضرة#13

Lesson #13
Rule III: Do-Support Rule.
In some sentences, a do-support has to be supplied.
Tense – (NP) Do-supp. Tense-do- (NP)
-- >
Here is an example:
Surface structure: Did Wattana meet him?
Kernel sentence: Wattana met him.
Analysis: Wattana – past. – meet – him.
Interrogative rule: past – Wattana – meet – him
Here is a situation where, as a result of the interrogative rule, only the tense is placed outside the NP as there is no be or have or modal attached to the tense. Now, the tense is a Bound Morpheme. It cannot stand alone. It must be attached to some verbal element (not to any NP like Wattana). Therefore, a dummy verb, namely do, is supplied here to be attached to the tense. This rule is called the do-support rule. It states: ‘Support the tense with do when the tense is followed by a non-verbal item’. So the third step in the above series of transformations is:
Do – support: past – do – Wattana – meet – him.
Now, one can apply the affix-switch rule.
Affix: do – past – Wattan – meet – him
(did)
Another example:
Derive the structure: Did Bunjob accept your proposal?
Kernel sentence: Bunjob accepted your proposal.
Analysis: Bunjob – past – accept – your – proposal.
Interrogative rule: past. – Bunjob – accept – your – proposal.
Do-support: past – do – Bunjob – accept – your – proposal.
Affix: do – past – Bunjob – accept – your – proposal.
(did)
Wh –type questions
In order to derive why-questions, two more transformation rules have to be applied. These rule are:
1. wh – substitution
2. wh – fronting
The following examples will make it clear as to how, and in what order, these
rules are applied.
Surface structure: Why did you kick him?
Kernel: You kicked him for some reason.
Analysis: you – past – kick – him – for some reason.
Wh – subs: you – past – kick – him – why.
Interrogative rule: past – you – kick – him- why.
Wh – front: why – past – you – kick – him.
Do – supp. why – past – do – you – kick – him.
Affix: why – do – past – you – kick – him.
(did)
The order in which the T-Rules are applied are:
1. W - Who-substitutions
2. I - Interrogative rule
3. W - Wh-fronting
4. D - Do-support
5. A - Affix-switch rule
A kernel sentence may need some or all of these transformations to arrive at the
surface structure. The order of transformation rules, however, remains the same in all cases.
More Examples:
1. Where did you go yesterday?
Kernel: You went somewhere yesterday.
Analysis: you – past – go – somewhere – yesterday.
Wh-sub: you – past – go – where – yesterday.
Interr.: past – you – go – where – yesterday.
Wh-front: where – past – you – go – yesterday.
Do-supp.: where – past – do – you – go – yesterday.
Affix: where – do – past – you – go – yesterday.
(did)
2. How did you learn all that?
Kernel: You learnt all this somehow.
Analysis: you – past – learn – all this – somehow.
Wh-sub: you – past – learn – all this – how.
Interr.: past – you – learn - how – all this.
Wh-front: how – past – you - learn – all this.
Do-supp.: how – past – do – you – learn – all this.
Affix: How – do – past – you – learn – all this.
(did)
3. When has she returned from Bangkok?
Kernel: She has returned form Bangkok at sometime.
Analysis: she – pres. – have – en – return – from – Bangkok – at some time.
Wh-sub: she – pres. – have – en – return – from – Bangkok – when.
Wh-front: When – pres. – have – she – en – return – form Bangkok.
Affix: when – have – pres. – she – return – en – from Bangkok.
(has) (returned)
Note: It may be noted that this derivation does not need a Do-support rule.
4. What does Mathematics teach you?
Kernel: Mathematics teaches you something.
Analysis: Mathematics – pres. – teach – you – something.
Wh-sub: Mathematics – pres. – teach – you – what.
Interr.: pres. – Mathematics – teach – you – what.
Wh-front: what – pres. – Mathematics – teach – you.
Do-supp.: what – pres – do – Mathematics – teach – you.
Affix: what – do – pres. – Mathematics – teach – you.
(does)
5. Who presided over the meeting?
Kernel: Someone presided over the meeting.
Analysis: someone – past – preside over – the meeting.
Wh-sub: who – past – preside over - the meeting.
Interr.: past – who – preside over – the meeting.
Wh-front: who – past – preside over – the meeting.
Affix: who – preside over – past – the meeting.
(presided over)
Rule IV: Negation.
Negation rule is another of the important rules of transformation. This rule is applied as follows:
Modal Modal
Tense - be Neg. Tense - be -not
have . -- > have
Tree diagram
S
the girl will play - - - >
S
Neg the girl will play
S
the girl will not play
Note: If there is no modal or be or have, after the tense, ‘not’ is placed directly after the tense, i.e.
Tense Neg. Tense - not
-- >
Examples:
1. Surface structure: I will not walk.
Deep structure or Kernel sentence: I will walk.
Analysis: I – pres. – will – walk.
Neg.: I – pres. – will – not – walk.
Affix: I – will – pres. – not – walk.
(will)
2. Surface structure: She did not sleep.
Kernel: She slept.
Analysis: she – past – sleep.
Neg.: she – past – not – sleep.
Do-supp.: she – past – do – not – sleep.
Affix: she – do – past – not – go.
(did)
Negative Contraction Rule
Not neg. cont. -- > n’t
Note:
When ‘not’ is contracted to n’t, it is attached closely to the verbal item preceding it, i.e. to modal, be or tense, n’t moves wherever these items move.
Examples:
1. Did not he play tennis?
2. Is not she a fool?
3. Why did not you speak the truth?