INTRODUCTION
The Government and Binding model of grammar is one of the versions of the Transformational Generative grammar (TGG) which was expounded by Avram Noam Chomsky in his book Syntactic Structures published in 1957. It is generally considered to have developed to serve as an improvement on the inadequacies of the earlier versions of Chomskyan grammar; namely, the Standard theory, the Extended Standard theory and the Revised Extended Standard theory. GB is an advanced form of Universal Grammar, that is why it emphasizes the universality of grammar. It incorporates the principles and features of the earlier versions of Chomskyan grammar; for example the Tree structure representation of the Phrase Structure and Transformational Generative grammar models, the interpretative component responsible for meaning and the phonetic component responsible for how words and sentences are pronounced. Generally, GB offers an improved analysis of the structure of sentences in natural languages.
3.1The Major Aspects of Government and Binding Model
The central notion of the Government-Binding model of grammar may best be understood through an explanation of the two major aspects of which it consists. These aspects are Principles and Parameters. This is why the GB model of grammar is sometimes also referred to as the Principles and Parameters Theory (PPT).
The aspect of GB known as the Principles has to do with those features or aspects of languages (in general) which are common to all languages and which do not vary from one language to another. Such common features are described within Universal grammar as core features. They are features which all human languages possess. For instance, all languages have structural units known as words, phrases, clauses and sentences. Within GB all phrases in all languages have the same structure: in every phrase there is a word that is more important than the other words in that phrase. That word is described as the head of that phrase. Thus, in a noun phrase the noun is the head; in a verb phrase, the verb is the head … and so on. Everything about a phrase – the way it functions, its structure and so on is determined by the nature of the head of the phrase in question. All phrases are said to have the same structure which may be represented using a Tree structure schema like the one in Fig 1:
Fig 1: Structure of a Phrase
White house
Examples of noun phrases in English are the following:
(i) female hostel
(ii) government policy
(iii) the head of Department
(iv) All teachers of Mathematics
We can represent the VP “carries a basket” on a tree diagram such as the one in Fig 1 above thus:
Fig 2: Tree Structure representation of the phrase “carries a basket” Examples of verb phrases in English are indicated below:
(i) carries a basket
(ii) depicts a market scene
(iii) wrote on slabs
(iv) are selling in the market.
Following the principles of GB which assign the same structure to all phrases in all languages we could identify the heads of the verb phrases as “carries” in (i), “depicts” in (ii), “wrote” in (iii) and “selling” in (iv).
SELF ASSESSMENT EXERCISE
1) Identify the heads in the following phrases:
(a) village market
(b) bicycle repairer
(c) writes novels
(d) are acting on stage
2) Represent 1(a) and (c) on tree diagrams
Parameters on the other hand refer to those aspects of GB which study the variable features which human languages posses. That is, the differences which exist among languages within the principles which they may share. For instance, one important difference observed to exist among languages with regard to the structure of their phrases is the position which heads occupy. In some languages, the heads of phrases are uniformly positioned before the other words whereas in others they occur last in the phrase. Languages in which the heads of phrases occur in phrase – initial position are described as Head-First languages. English is cited as an example of a Head-First language. However, it should be pointed out that it is not all phrases that heads occur first e.g. female hostel where hostel is the head and comes after the modifier (= complement ‘female’). According to Haegeman (1994), Japanese is an example of a Head-Last Language. Thus, it would be clear that even though parameters recognize that all languages have certain features in common, it also recognizes that languages differ in certain specific respects. These differences account for why they are distinct separate languages anyway.
3.2 Interactive Sub-Systems of GB
GB has been shown to present a wider scope for the study of languages. Within this model of grammar language operates on inter-connecting levels, with each level making inputs to enable other levels to function. According to Chomsky (p.5) language grammar comprises interacting sub-systems.
GB is organized into sub-systems more technically known as modules. Each module has a function but contributes inputs to other modules for the overall functioning of the grammatical system of language. As a result of this organization into modules, GB is said to have a modular character.
There are seven interactive sub-systems or modules of GB. They include: the Bounding sub-system, the Government sub-system, the Theta sub-system, the Binding sub-system, the Case sub-system, the Control sub-system and the X-bar sub-system. The Bounding sub- system imposes restrictions on how phrases may be moved from one sentence position to another; the Government sub-system ensures that the head of a phrase occurs in close proximity to the other elements that co-occur with it; and the function of the Theta sub-system is to assign meaning roles to relevant noun phrases, e.g. this sub-system ensures that a noun which occurs after a verb, for example, is assigned the appropriate meaning (thematic) role of object. The Binding sub-system is concerned with the relationships which must hold between nouns, noun phrases or pronouns and their antecedents; the X-bar sub-system deals with the relationship between the head of a phrase and the elements that are dependent on it … and so on for the other sub-systems. Thus it would be clear that the sub-system interacts one with another such that “two or more of them can account for the grammaticality or ungrammaticality of structures” (Lamidi, 2000, p.61).
4.0 CONCLUSION
This unit has introduced to the GB model of grammar which is a further development of earlier models of grammar like the Transformational Generative Grammar (TGG). It is important to note that unlike earlier models which were developed with specific languages in mind, GB is based on the universal characteristics of languages.
5.0 SUMMARY
The following points have been made in this unit:
•Avram Noam Chomsky is the proponent of the Government-Binding model of grammar along with others like Phrase Structure Grammar, Transformational-Generative Grammar, etc.
•GB is a more generalized model of grammar: it studies the grammar of languages in general, not individual language grammars.
•It is enriched and has a wider scope because it incorporates in its models the major principles and features of the other versions of grammar both within and outside Chomskyan linguistics.
•It is concerned with what human languages have in common rather than with what differentiates them.
•It emphasizes universality.
•However, GB recognizes that there exist differences among languages. •A major characteristic of GB is its modularity.
ANSWER TO SELF ASSESSMENT EXERCISE
(1) The heads in the phrases
(i) village market = market (ii) bicycle repairer = repairer (iii) writes novels = writes
(iv) are acting on stage= acting
N
(2a)
N
market (Head)
Tree representation of the phrase “village market”
Tree representation of the phrase “writes novels”
6.0 TUTOR-MARKED ASSIGNMENT
1. Explain GB’s concept of Principles and Parameters. Use appropriate illustrations.
2. What is meant by Head-First and Head-Last languages? Give some examples from English and your mother tongue or any other language.
7.0 REFERENCES/FURTHER READINGS
Chomsky, N. (1981). Lectures on Government and Binding: The Pisa Lectures. Dordrecht: Foris Publications.
Haegeman, Liliane. (1994). Introduction to Government and Binding Theory. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press.
Lamidi, M. T. (2000). Aspects of Chomsyan Grammar. Ibadan: Emman Publications.
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