The Transformational Method

This method is based on the notions of a kernel, which is the simplest elementary subject-predicate structure with explicit grammatical relations, transformation which is a process of rearranging elements in syntactic structures with meanings being kept unchanged, transformation rules (addition is adding elements, deletion is cutting elements out, substitution is replacing one element by another one in the same position, permutation is replacing elements (putting from the beginning into the end and vice versa): John drank his beer => the beer was drunk by John. R ecategorization consists in changing the category of an element (verbalization of a noun, nominalization of a verb, etc).

The transformational method rearranges syntactic structures keeping their meanings unchanged. Its postulates are: if two or more structures are transformed identically, their meanings are identical; if two or more structures are transformed differently, their meanings are different.

This method has a broad sphere of application. We can clarify relations between structures, reveal semantic similarities and differences between structures disambiguate ambiguous structures, reveal covert information from implicit relations, etc. Transforming identical Genitives we reveal their internal differences: Napoleon’s victory => Napoleon won a victory over someone ( subjective genitive ). Napoleon’s defeat => Somebody has won the victory over Napoleon ( objective Genitive ). A Soldier’s uniform => a uniform habitually worn by a soldier ( descriptive genitive ). Children’s bedroom => the room for children (destination Genitive). John’s arrival => John arrives, John arrived, will arrive (temporary Genitive)

By means of Transformational method we can disambiguate ambiguous structures:

The King’s portrait => The King has a portrait of somebody.

The King has a portrait of himself.

The King has drawn a portrait of somebody.

Somebody has a portrait of the king, etc.

Transformational method can interpret syntactic homonymy:

Vanessa is impossible to help. => It is impossible to help Vanessa.

Vanessa is anxious to help. => *It is anxious to help Vanessa.

John made her a present. => He made a present to her.

John made her a star. => He made a star of her.

Transformational method is more powerful as it reveals hidden implicit relations between the constituents of a sentence (The rain falls greyly => the rain is falling and it is grey).

By this method we can interpret double predicates: The moon rose red => the moon rose and it was red. Rose is an explicit predicate and is red is an implicit one. We can also describe a predicate of double orientation: He is said to have come; he to have come is a Subjective with the infinitive construction, he is a subject; is said to have come is a predicate of double orientation as to have come refers to the subject and is said refers to a subject beyond the border of the sentence => they say that he has come.

By means of this method we can analyze neutralization between coordination and subordination: He married early which surprised everybody => Him married early and that surprised everybody (a complex sentence with an attributive clause is transformed into a compound sentence, the semantic difference between them being neutralized).

By means of this method we can analyze predicative constructions with infinitives, gerunds, participles.

A simple sentence carrying a predicative construction with a non-finite form of the verb can be analyzed into a complex sentence with a subordinate clause where the formerly non-finite form is presented as a finite form functioning as a simple verbal predicate: He heard music coming from theroom inside => he heard that the music was coming from the room inside. He was happy with the whole universe to improve => he was happy because he was to improve the whole universe.

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