From phrase structure rules to X-bar schemata : a critical assessment

Abstract EN

This paper will examine the major syntactic development of traditional phrase structure rules to X-bar schemata.

It will demonstrate by way of contrast and critical assessment the superiority of X-bar theory over the traditional phrase structure component.

Over the last decade and due to the speed and volume of recent development, revisions and modifications of syntactice theory, the Gov-emment-Binding theory, in particular, many researchers and students of language have fallen behind.

Not only this but recent syntactic theory is plagued with so much technical jargon that renders it uninterpretable and at times unintelligible altogether.

So, another concern of this paper is to offer help to those in need to get a better understanding of some of the technical aspects of the present theory.