Constraining Spanish Surface Structure, York Papers in Linguistics 4.

N

8

Deep Structure; Grammar; Linguistic Theory; Sentence Structure; Spanish; Surface Structure; Syntax; Transformational Generative Grammar

This article attempts to refute D.M. Perlmutter's claim that the syntactic component in Spanish grammar can generate structures that are grammatical at the deep structure level but not at the surface structure level, and that it is necessary to impose a surface structure constraint (SSC) as a filter to reject the ungrammatical structures. The principal evidence Perlmutter cites for the necessity of the SSC is the behavior of the Spanish particle "se." However, it is demonstrated here that there is at least one case in which a different deep structure analysis of "se" would obviate the need for a SSC. Perlmutter's analyses of the other sources of "se" are also examined critically. It is suggested that the whole notion of SSCs deserves fresh examination. (LG)

1975

ED098785