This document discusses syntactic relations and tree diagrams. It defines syntactic relations as functional relationships between constituents in clauses or phrases. A tree diagram provides a visual representation of constituents in an expression, resembling a family tree. Key terms for tree diagrams are discussed, including constituents, nodes, branches, and labeling. Constituent command, or c-command, is defined as a constituent commanding its sister and any constituent contained within its sister. C-command is important for describing anaphors like reflexives and reciprocals, which must be bound within their governing category.

1. In the name of Allah, the most Beneficent, the most Merciful.

2. Syntactic Relations
Presented to: Miss Madeeha Khan
Presented by: Asif Ali Raza

3. Points to be discussed
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What are Syntactic Relations?
What is Tree Diagram?
Basic Terms regarding Tree Diagram
Constituent Command or C-Command
C-Command condition on binding

4. What are Syntactic Relations?


In linguistics, syntactic relations (= grammatical
functions, grammatical roles, syntactic functions,
grammatical relations) refer to functional
relationships between constituents in a clause or
phrase.
Relation between the constituents of various
types of phrases or sentences is called Syntactic
Relations.

5. What is Tree Diagram?


A tree diagram is a way of representing
the hierarchical nature of a structure in a graphical
form. It is named a "tree diagram" because the
classic representation resembles a tree, even
though the chart is generally upside down
compared to an actual tree, with the "root" at the
top and the "leaves" at the bottom.
Tree diagram provides us visual representation of
the constituents of the corresponding expression.
It looks like a family tree.

6. What is Tree Diagram?
E.g. The child can kick a football.
S

NP
Art
VP
Aux
V
N
NP
Art
A
child
can
kick
N
a
football
Tree diagrams are referred to in the relevant literature as Phrase Markers (P-Markers)

7. What is Tree Diagram?

E.g. The child can kick a football.
TP
DP
D
T'
N
T
VP
V
NP
D
The
child
can
kick
N
a
football
Tree diagrams are referred to in the relevant literature as Phrase Markers (P-Markers)

8. Terms regarding Tree Diagram





Constituent
Sub-Constituent
Root/Mother, Sister, Daughter, Grand Daughter etc
Node, Terminal Node, Non-terminal Node, Labeled
Node
Branch/Solid Line

9. Terms regarding Tree Diagram
Labeled Nodes
A
B
C
E
D
F
G
H
Solid Lines/Branches
J

10. Terms regarding Tree Diagram
i-Constituent
ii-Non-Terminal Node
A
i-Sub-Constituent
ii-Non-Terminal Node
B
C
E
D
F
G
H
J
Terminal Nodes
Terminal Nodes contain any lexical item

11. Terms regarding Tree Diagram
The president may blame himself.
TP
A
DP
B
E
D
C
T'
D
F
N
T
VP
G
V
H
Terminal Nodes
NP
J
The
president
may blame himself
Terminal Nodes contain any lexical item

12. Terms regarding Tree Diagram
Mother/Root
A
i-Daughters of A
ii-Sisters
B
C
E
D
F
G
H
i-Grand Daughters of A
ii-Sisters—CD (daughters of B) and
FG(daughters of E)
iii-Cousins CD to FG and FG to CD
J
i-Daughters of G
ii-Sisters to each other
iii-they have no cousin
iv-Grand grand daughters of A
v-Grand daughters of E

13. Who can command in a
Family (in Tree Diagram)?
A
B
C
E
D
F
G
H
J
Mother or Root A dominates everyone.

14. Who can command in a Family
(in Tree Diagram)?
A
B
C
E
D
F
G
H
J
B commands E, F, G, H and J

15. Who can command in a Family
(in Tree Diagram)?
A
B
C
E
D
F
G
H
E commands B, C and D
J

16. Who can command in a Family
(in Tree Diagram)?
A
B
C
E
D
F
G
H
J
C and D command each other
F commands G, H and J
G commands F

17. What is CONSTITUENT
COMMAND or C-COMMAND?
From the above examples, C-Command can
be defined as follows:
A constituent X c-commands its sister Y and
any constituent Z which is contained within Y.

18. Explanation of CONSTITUENT
COMMAND or C-COMMAND
 We can give example of importance of C-Command relation
in syntactic description by looking at ANAPHORS (especially
REFLEXIVES and RECIPROCALS)
•He must feel proud of himself. (“He” is antecedent of “himself” and
“himself” is bound by “He”)
•The people help one another. (“The people” is antecedent of “one
another” and “one another” is bound by “The people”.)

19. Explanation of CONSTITUENT
COMMAND or C-COMMAND
 We can give example of importance of C-Command relation
in syntactic description by looking at ANAPHORS (especially
REFLEXIVES and RECIPROCALS)
•He must feel proud of herself. (“He” is antecedent and requires
singular masculine reflexive--himself to form grammatical structure but
here is “herself” and forms an ungrammatical structure.)
•The two men help one another. (“The two men” is antecedent and
requires reciprocal—each other to form grammatical structure but here
is “one another” and forms an ungrammatical structure.)

20. C-Command condition on
binding
The president may blame himself.
TP
Can you recall this?
A
DP
B
C
E
D
F
D
T'
N
G
H
T
VP
V
PRN
J
The
president
may blame himself

21. C-Command condition on
binding
Supporters of the president may blame himself.
TP
Can you recall this?
A
NP
B
C
E
D
F
H
PP
N
G
T'
DP
P
J
D
Supporters of
T
the
VP
V
PRN
N
president may blame
himself.

22. Query Session

23. Thanks
You may download this presentation form here:
http://www.slideshare.net/AsifAliRaza/syntactic-relations
For any suggestion:
asifalirazzza@yahoo.com
0300-4626234
Wish you best of luck in every sphere of life!

24. Readings
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English Syntax by Andrew Radford
English Syntax and Argumentation by Bas Aarts
Syntax by Andrew Carnie
An Introduction to English Syntax by Jim Miller
Ling 201 – Basic Concepts of Linguistics Jirka Hana – March 25, 2006
How Many Word-Classes Are There After All? István Kenesei Research
Institute for Linguistics, HAS, & University of Szeged IMM14, Budapest, May
13-16, 2010
INTRODUCTION TO LINGUISTICS BA Modul 1 Institut für Anglistik nd
Amerikanistik Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin
Bauer, L. 1983. English Word-Formation. Cambridge: Cambridge University
Press; 13-18; 20-22.
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Brown, K. & J.E. Miller 19912. Syntax: a Linguistic Introduction to Sentence
Structure. London: Harpercollins; 155-172.
Matthews, P.H. 19912. Morphology. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press;
24-40.