M. Iriskulov, A. Kuldashev a course in Theoretical English Grammar Tashkent 2008

Transformational-Generative Grammar. The Transformational grammar 
was first suggested by American scholar Zelling Harris as a method of analyzing 
sentences and was later elaborated by another American scholar Noam Chomsky 
as a synthetic method of 'generating' (constructing) sentences. The main point of 
the Transformational-Generative Grammar is that the endless variety of sentences 
in a language can be reduced to a finite number of kernels by means of 
transformations. These kernels serve the basis for generating sentences by means 
of syntactic processes. Different language analysts recognize the existence of 
different number of kernels (from 3 to 39). The following 6 kernels are commonly 
associated with the English language: 
(1) NV -John sings. 
(2) NV Adj. - John is happy. 
(3) NVN -John is a man. 
(4) NVN -John hit the man. 
(5) NVNN -John gave the man a book. 

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(6) NVPrep.N - The book is on the table. 
It should be noted that (3) differs from (4) because the former admits no 
passive transformation. 
Transformational method proves useful for analysing sentences from the 
point of their deep structure: 
Flying planes can be dangerous. 
This sentence is ambiguous, two senses can be distinguished: a) the action of 
flying planes can be dangerous, b) the planes that fly can be dangerous. Therefore 
it can be reduced to the following kernels: 
a) Planes can be dangerous 
b) Planes can be dangerous 
X (people) fly planes 
 
Planes fly 
Constructional Syntax. Constructional analysis of syntactic units was 
initiated by Prof. G .Pocheptsov in his book published in Kyiv in 1971. This 
analysis deals with the constructional significance/insignificance of a part of the 
sentence for the whole syntactic unit. The theory is based on the obligatory or 
optional environment of syntactic elements. For example, the element him in the 
sentence I saw him there yesterday is constructionally significant because it is 
impossible to omit it. At the same time the elements there and yesterday are 
constructionally insignificant - they can be omitted without destroying the whole 
structure.