Grammar and Deep Structure – Meaning, Definition and Examples
In linguistics, grammar refers to the system of rules that governs how words combine to form meaningful sentences. Modern linguistic theory, especially Noam Chomsky’s Transformational–Generative Grammar (TGG), introduced the concept of Deep Structure—an important idea for understanding how meaning is formed.
1. What is Grammar?
Grammar is a set of rules that explains how language works. It includes:
- Morphology – formation of words
- Syntax – arrangement of words in a sentence
- Semantics – meaning behind structures
Traditional grammar focuses on correct usage, while modern linguistic grammar studies mental rules that allow humans to produce and understand sentences.
2. What is Deep Structure?
Deep Structure (also called D-Structure) refers to the underlying, abstract meaning of a sentence before any transformations are applied. It represents the logical and semantic relations between sentence components.
Definition
Deep Structure is the basic form of a sentence generated by Phrase Structure Rules before transformations such as passive, interrogation, or negation are applied.
Characteristics of Deep Structure
- Represents core meaning
- Generated by Phrase Structure Grammar
- Abstract in nature—not directly spoken or written
- Common for multiple surface variations
- Links syntax with semantics
3. Deep Structure vs Surface Structure
| Deep Structure | Surface Structure |
|---|---|
| Underlying meaning / logical form | Actual spoken or written form |
| Created by Phrase Structure Rules | Created after applying Transformations |
| Stable and abstract | Varies depending on context |
| Represents semantic relations | Represents grammatical arrangement |
| “who did what to whom” | The final sentence structure |
4. Examples of Deep Structure
Example 1: Passive Sentence
Surface Structure: “The apple was eaten by the girl.”
Deep Structure: “Girl + eat + apple”
Both the active and passive sentences share the same deep structure but differ in surface form due to transformation.
Example 2: Yes/No Question
Surface Structure: “Did he finish the work?”
Deep Structure: “He did finish the work.”
Interrogative transformation moves the auxiliary to the front.
Example 3: Negative Transformation
Surface: She is not coming.
Deep: She is coming.
Negation adds the element “not.”
5. Phrase Structure Rules (Generate Deep Structure)
S → NP + VP NP → (Det) + N VP → V + (NP)
Example
Sentence: “The boy kicked the ball.”
- S → NP + VP
- NP → Det + N (“The boy”)
- VP → V + NP (“kicked the ball”)
This is the Deep Structure before any transformations.
6. Transformations (Convert Deep → Surface Structure)
- Passive: The girl ate the apple → The apple was eaten by the girl.
- Interrogative: She is coming → Is she coming?
- Negation: He likes tea → He does not like tea.
- Deletion: She will go → Will she go?
- Addition/Expansion: He came → He really came.
These transformations operate on the deep structure to create different surface forms.
7. Importance of Deep Structure
- Explains the relationship between syntax and meaning
- Helps understand ambiguous sentences
- Shows how the mind organizes language
- Useful in linguistics, AI, NLP and language teaching
- Forms the foundation of modern generative grammar
8. Summary
Deep Structure represents the meaning level of a sentence before transformations occur. It is the mental blueprint that underlies all surface variations. Understanding deep structure is essential in linguistics for analysing sentence formation and meaning.
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