In “Aspects of the Theory of Syntax,” published in 1965, Chomsky presents his famous distinction between deep structure and surface structure. Deep structure consists of the underlying meaning of a sentence, while surface structure is the actual form that the sentence takes. This book had a major impact on linguistics and cognitive science and helped shape our understanding of how language works.
In the book, Chomsky presents his famous distinction between deep structure and surface structure. Deep structure consists of the underlying meaning of a sentence, while surface structure is the actual form that the sentence takes. This distinction is still used today to make sense of human language.
Prior to this work, linguistics was largely focused on the study of semantics (the meaning of words and phrases). However, with Aspects of the Theory of Syntax, Chomsky shifted the focus to syntax (the rules governing the structure of sentences). By doing so, he provided a much more comprehensive approach to understanding how language works.
Chomsky’s main argument is that all human languages share a common underlying structure, which he referred to as “Universal Grammar.” This Universal Grammar is composed of a set of rules that are innate (i.e. hardwired) in the human brain. These rules are responsible for our ability to generate an infinite number of sentences from a finite set of words. In other words, they allow us to create new sentences that we have never heard before and still be understood by others.
In order to support his claim, Chomsky relies heavily on data from child language acquisition. He observes that children are able to pick up the rules of their native language(s) quite easily, despite having limited exposure to actual speech. This is evidence that we are not simply learning by imitation; rather, we are extracting the underlying rules from the speech we hear. Moreover, Chomsky argues that if language were merely a matter of imitation, we would expect all languages to be equally easy to learn. However, this is clearly not the case; some languages are much harder to learn than others. This is further evidence in support of Universal Grammar.
In Aspects of the Theory of Syntax, Noam Chomsky proposed a groundbreaking theory of linguistics that has since become the foundation for much subsequent research in the field. His work helped shift the focus from semantics (the meaning of words and phrases) to syntax (the rules governing sentence structure), providing a more comprehensive approach to understanding how language works. By looking at data from child language acquisition, Chomsky was able to provide strong evidence in support of his claim that all human languages share a common underlying structure which he referred to as “Universal Grammar.” Consequently, his work has had a profound impact on our understanding of both language and the human mind.