| Despite the possibility of exceptions (partially illustrated in the last chapter) it is basically the syntactic structure of the sentence that indicates the author’s intent in using it: declarative, interrogative, or imperative. In order to characterize a particular sentence as one of these syntactic classes the linguist must know something of the order of its component lexicological and phrasal elements. At the same time the analyst must know about the prototypical intent of the author in using that particular pattern. We discuss the most important components in the chapters seven and eight. The next two chapters describe some of the most important lexitactic rules involved in the formal analysis of the syntax of a sentence. Sections 4 and 5 of this chapter are pivotal in providing the theoretical basis of the most essential analytical tools developed by linguists. The reader will find that useful apparatus for both the syntax and the semantics may be based firmly on the foundation of mathematical modeling and logic. For a pretheoretical description of English syntax the reader may find the Basic Grammar of English on this site helpful. Be aware, however, that its treatment of clauses, which is our first focus of analysis, is confined almost exclusively to the final chapter. |