phrase-structure grammar: meaning, definition, pronunciation and examples
C2Technical/Academic
Quick answer
What does “phrase-structure grammar” mean?
A formal model of syntax that generates sentences by applying rules to build hierarchical structures from constituents like noun phrases and verb phrases.
Audio
Pronunciation
Definition
Meaning and Definition
A formal model of syntax that generates sentences by applying rules to build hierarchical structures from constituents like noun phrases and verb phrases.
In linguistics and computer science, a system of grammatical analysis that uses rewrite rules to break down a sentence into its constituent parts, showing the linear order and hierarchical relationships between words and phrases. It forms the basis for parse trees and early models in generative grammar.
Dialectal Variation
British vs American Usage
Differences
No significant lexical or spelling differences. The term is identical in both varieties, as it's a technical term.
Connotations
Identical technical connotations.
Frequency
Used with identical frequency in linguistic and computational academic contexts globally.
Grammar
How to Use “phrase-structure grammar” in a Sentence
The linguist described [NP] using a phrase-structure grammar.A phrase-structure grammar consists of [NP].Vocabulary
Collocations
Examples
Examples of “phrase-structure grammar” in a Sentence
verb
British English
- The parser was designed to phrase-structure the input automatically.
- We need to phrase-structure this sentence to test the hypothesis.
American English
- The system can phrase-structure any well-formed sentence.
- Early AI attempted to phrase-structure language mechanically.
adverb
British English
- The sentence was analysed phrase-structurally.
- The grammar generates sentences phrase-structure-wise.
American English
- The model operates phrase-structurally.
- The algorithm parses the text phrase-structure-wise.
adjective
British English
- The phrase-structure approach dominated early syntactic theory.
- They proposed a new phrase-structure framework.
American English
- The phrase-structure model provides clear hierarchical representations.
- He is an expert in phrase-structure analysis.
Usage
Meaning in Context
Business
Virtually never used.
Academic
Core term in theoretical linguistics, syntax, and computational linguistics.
Everyday
Never used.
Technical
Central to formal language theory, natural language processing, and compiler design.
Vocabulary
Synonyms of “phrase-structure grammar”
Strong
Neutral
Weak
Vocabulary
Antonyms of “phrase-structure grammar”
Watch out
Common Mistakes When Using “phrase-structure grammar”
- Confusing it with 'phrase grammar' (not a term).
- Using it to refer to prescriptive grammar rules for 'proper phrasing'.
- Misspelling as 'phrase structure-grammar'.
FAQ
Frequently Asked Questions
No. Traditional grammar is often prescriptive and based on Latin models. Phrase-structure grammar is a formal, descriptive model used in theoretical linguistics and computer science to generate and analyse sentence structure.
Phrase-structure grammar focuses on constituents (groups of words) and their hierarchical relationships, often shown in tree diagrams. Dependency grammar focuses on direct relationships between individual words (heads and dependents), shown as a network of links.
In a general linguistic sense, yes, they are often used interchangeably. More precisely, in formal language theory, context-free grammars are a specific, well-defined mathematical class that exemplify the phrase-structure approach.
It provides the formal foundation for parsing programming languages (compiler design) and natural languages (in NLP). The hierarchical rules allow computers to analyse and generate structured sequences of symbols.
A formal model of syntax that generates sentences by applying rules to build hierarchical structures from constituents like noun phrases and verb phrases.
Phrase-structure grammar is usually technical/academic in register.
Phrase-structure grammar: in British English it is pronounced /ˈfreɪz ˌstrʌk.tʃə ˈɡræm.ər/, and in American English it is pronounced /ˈfreɪz ˌstrʌk.tʃər ˈɡræm.ɚ/. Tap the audio buttons above to hear it.
Phrases
Idioms & Phrases
- “This is not just grammar, it's a whole phrase-structure grammar.”
Learning
Memory Aids
Mnemonic
Think of a PHRASE-STRUCTURE GRAMMAR as a set of instructions for building a sentence-tree, phrase by phrase.
Conceptual Metaphor
GRAMMAR AS A BLUEPRINT or GRAMMAR AS A RECIPE.
Practice
Quiz
What is the primary function of a phrase-structure grammar?