A Contrastive Transformational Grammar: Arabic and English

128 Pages·2000·16.61 MB·English

by  Muhammad Ali al-Khuli

A CONTRASTIVE
TRANSFORMATIONAL GRAMMAR
Arabic and English
STUDIES IN SEMITIC
LANGUAGES AND LINGUISTICS
EDITED BY
G.F. PIJPER
Emeritus Professor in Arabic Language and Literature in the
University of Amsterdam
X
MUHAMMAD ALI AL-KHULI
A CONTRASTIVE
TRANSFORMATIONAL GRAMMAR
Arabic and English
LEIDEN
E. J. BRILL
1979
A CONTRASTIVE
TRANSFORMATIONAL GRAMMAR
Arabic and English
MUHAMMAD ALI AL-KHULI
LEIDEN
E. J. BRILL
1979
Subsidized by Riyad University
Other books by the Author:
(1) A Workbook for English Teaching Practice.
Al-Falah Library, Kuwait, 1978.
(2) English as a Foreign Language.
Riyad University Press, Riyad, 1976.
(3) Language Teaching: Cases and Comments.
Al-Falah Library, Kuwait, 1978.
(4) Programmed TEFL Methodology.
Riyad University Press, Riyad, 1979.
'j) Ml
ISBN 90 04 05960 1
Copyright 1979 by E. J. Brill, Leiden, The Netherlands
All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced or
translated in any form, by print, photoprint, microfilm, microfiche
or any other means without written permission from the publisher
PRINTED IN BELGIUM
TABLE OF CONTENTS
Acknowledgements ix
Preface .... xi
I. Introduction ... 1
1. The Purposes. 1
2. The Advantage . 1
3. The Procedure 2
4. Content ... 2
5. Complexity 3
II. The Underlying Transformational Theory . . . 4
1. The Need for a Theory................................... 4
2. A Definition of Transformational Grammar .... 4
3. Generative Grammar and its Relation to the T-Grammar 5
4. Reasons for Using the T-Theory 6
5. Phrase-Structure Rules . .8
1. Introduction ... .8
2. The Base Universality............................. 8
3. The Sentence in Phrase-Structure Rules . 9
4. The Types of PS-rules .... 9
5. Further Terminology in PS-rules . 11
6. The Lexicon ...... 12
7. Transformational Rules 13
1. The Nature of T-rules . . 13
Introduction .... 13
The Function of T-rules . 13
The Condition of T-rules . 14
The Order of T-rules . 14
2. The Types of T-rules 15
8. Morphophonemic Rules....................... 15
9. The Criteria for Evaluating a T-grammar 15
10. Further Remarks on the T-theory ... 17 III.
III. The Corpus ... 18
1. Introduction ..... 18
2. Method of Sampling....................... 18
3. The Representativeness of the Sample 19
1. Types of Sentences 19
VI TABLE OF CONTENTS
2. Types of Verbs 20
3. Types of Nouns . 20
4. Types of Objects . 21
5. Types of Particles 22
6. Miscellaneous Types . 22
4. The Sentences of the Corpus . 23
IV. Phrase-Structure Rules (PS-Rules) 27
1. Introduction.......... 27
2. The Chosen PS-model.... 27
3. The Modification of Fillmore’s Model ... 28
4. The Justification for Choosing Fillmore’s Model 29
1. Chomsky’s Model.... 29
2. Other Chomskian ModifiedM odels ... .30
3. The Advantages of Fillmore’s Model..............................31
5. Describing the Corpus according to Fillmore’s Model 31
V. Lexical Rules (L-Rules) 36
1. Introduction ... 36
2. Plus Noun Words 37
3. Plus Verbal Words . 43
4. Plus Determiners 47
5. Plus Prepositions 48
6. Plus Interrogatives . 49
7. Plus Negatives 49
8. Plus Auxiliaries . 49
9. Plus Time Adverbials 50
VI. Transformational Rules (T-Rules) 51
1. Subject Preposition Deletion . 52
2. Object Preposition Deletion 53
3. yaku:nl Deletion ... 54
4. Ergative-Dative Permutation 55
5. Ergative or Agent Fronting 56
6. Ergative-Agent Permutation 57
7. Ergative Deletion .... 58
8. Instrument-Agent Permutation 59
9. Locative Copying ... 59
10. Locative Pronominalization 60 *
For phonemic symbols, see Appendix I.
TABLE OF CONTENTS VII
11. Ergative-Locative Permutation. 61
12. Passive Transformation. 61
13. Verbal Agreement . . . 62
14. Noun Copying 64
15. Void........................................ 65
16. Case Introduction .... 65
17. Reflexive Transformation . 66
18. Determiner Transformation 67
19. mubtada? Deletion .... 68
20. Void........................................ 68
21. Special Verb Transformation . 69
22. Relative Transformation 70
23. Emphatic Transformation . 72
24. Identical Element Deletion 73
25. Complement Transformation . 74
26. Manner Transformation 75
27. Purpose Transformation 77
28. Adjective Transformation . 78
29. mubtada? Copying .... 79
30. Interrogative Transformation . 80
31. Time Transformation . . 82
32. Separation Transformation. 82
33. Ergative-Instrument Permutation . 83
34. Condition Transformation . 84
35. Instrument or Locative Fronting . 85
36. mawjwd Deletion 86
VII. Testing the Grammar Efficiency . 88
VIII. Conclusions and Suggestions . 106
Appendix I: Phonemic Symbols . 108
Appendix II: Non-Phonemic Symbols . 109
Appendix III: Abbreviations . 110
Appendix IV: Glossary 111
Bibliography 112
Index 115

ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS
The author wishes to sincerely thank Riyad University for the
generous subsidy it has given for the publication of this book. He also
wishes to thank Dr Abdulaziz A. Alfadda, Rector of the University,
Dr Saleh Al-Athl, Chairman of the Academic Council, and the Council
members for their continuous encouragement and support of scientific
research of all kinds and in all fields.
Gratitude is also due to Dr Neil Bratton, formerly of the American
University of Beirut, for suggesting this study and for his valuable
comments. Dr Muhammad Hamid Al-Afandi and Dr Kamal Bishr of
Riyad University deserve special thanks. So does Dr F. Th. Dijkema,
Oriental Editor of Brill Publishing Company, for his valuable co­
operation all through.
Further, the author wishes to thank Georgetown University Press,
Washington D.C., U.S.A., for permission to quote some materials from
Monograph Series on Languages and Linguistics, No. 19, 1966. He also
wishes to thank Dr Paul Shaker, Bruce E. Mellon, and Yaqub Khan
for their valuable help in correcting the proofs. Gratitude is also due
to any individuals who offered any help at any stage of the preparation
and publication of this book.