This volume explores objectively the essential characteristic of nine twentieth-century linguistic theories with the theoretical variant for discussion based on one closely representative of work within a given approach or usually associated with the name of the theory. First, the theory of Ferdinand de Saussure is discussed based on his book,…

In his attempt to give an account of language, the linguist is confronted by two interrelated problems: (1) the complexity of linguistic phenomena, and (2) the creativity of language. Although the proposal to study languages in terms of a generative system is not new, the basic technical concepts for carrying out such an undertaking were lacking…

The purpose of this experimental study was to determine whether instruction in generative grammar would produce better student writing. As a secondary aspect of the study, evaluation of all students was made for growth in knowledge of grammar apart from writing or other practical applications, whether the students had been instructed in generative…

This paper explains some properties and restrictions involved in phenomena of topicalization in Japanese. The first section reviews certain properties involved in simplex topical sentences; the second section reveals certain constraints on topicalization involved in complex sentences. Section Three pursues one consequence suggested by those…

The present study explores accuracy and speed of responses by the five-year-old child to expanded and conjoined sentences. The following factors were considered: (a) number of transformations, (b) types of transformations, (c) auxiliary-type sentence expansion and (d) type of query (those designed to elicit responses which should reflect…

This glossary provides Spanish translations for English technical terminology used in work connected with transformational generative grammar and theory. Approximately 300 terms are listed alphabetically in English with Spanish equivalents, Spanish explanations, and examples where necessary. (VM)

Tested a hypothesized relationship between rules of sentence transformation and preresponse processing time in a short-term memory and transformation task. Data showed that the amount of processing required by different grammatical transformations does not relate to the theoretical derivation. Available from Plenum Publishing Corp., 227 W. 17th…

A comparison is made of two different approaches to the treatment of modals in the framework of a transformational grammar--that of Seuren, who analyzes modals as "operators," and that of the generative semanticists who take them to be "higher verbs." Implications for language teaching are discussed. (Author/RM)

The authors respond to Winograd's critique (TM 503 198) of their previous article on the contributions of artificial intelligence to the scientific study of language (EJ 161 384). Winograd's interpretations of the "Chomskian paradigm," and of statements made in Dresher and Hornstein's original paper, are challenged. (GDC)

Written in Spanish, the article discusses the transformational grammar of the Spanish used by Chicanos. (NQ)

A number of experimental tasks were conducted in which subjects were asked to interpret and create novel noun-noun compounds. Results indicate that semantic relationships that hold between members of these compounds cannot be characterized in terms of a finite list of appropriate compounding relationships. (CHK)

Recommends introducting appropriate grammar instruction following pattern drill on various structures. Examples given (from French) are: partitive articles, certain perfect tense forms, and personal pronouns. This makes possible instruction entirely in the target language. For grammatical models, distributive structuralism and…

Outlines what Universal Grammar (UG) attempts to explain in first language (L1) acquisition and considers what research UG suggests for the area of second language (L2) learning. Suggest that L2 learners are faced with similar problems as L1 learners and that UG might have a role to play in L2 as well. (SED)

Presents theoretical syntactic formulas for translating sentences from one language to another. (KM)

A summative evaluation of a Program English curriculum which found that the effects of a study of transformational grammar on the language growth of secondary school students was negligible. (DD)