Transformations

1. Transformations To the basic sentence patterns

2. There transformation • The transformed sentence “looks right” and the underlying form is often hard to find. • There are many reasons to vote in this election. • The reasons to vote in this election are many. There 2 reasons are many

3. Active to PassiveOnly with patterns 7-10, the transitive verb patterns. • Add “be + -en” to the active verb string • John cooked dinner Dinner was cooked • pattern 7 active to pattern 7 passive • I gave her the kitten She was given a kitten • pattern 8 active to pattern 8 passive • I gave her the kitten A kitten was given to her • pattern 8 active to pattern 8 passive

4. Active to PassiveOnly with patterns 7-10, the transitive verb patterns. • Add “be + -en” to the active verb string • You called the idea silly The idea was called silly • pattern 9 active to pattern 9 passive • Ann made him an actor He was made an actor • pattern 10 active to pattern 10 passive

5. -do Auxiliary or -do support • With any pattern • A form of “do” is used as an auxiliary when no other auxiliary is needed • To create a question • Pete snores loudly Does Pete snore loudly? • Both pattern 6 • To emphasize a verb • I washed the car I did wash the car. • Both pattern 7

6. Imperatives • Works with any pattern • Uses the base form of the verb • Works with present tense • Negative imperatives use “do” • Sit still! • Don’t sit still! • Hence, negative imperatives involve 2 separate transformations! All of these are still pattern 6

7. Exclamatory transformations (do not confuse with “what cleft”) • Works with patterns that have complements • Subject complements • Object complements • Direct objects • Add “what” or “how” to the complement and begin with it. • I ate a hot fudge sundae What a hot fudge sundae I ate! • Both these are still pattern 7 • She is a great nurse What a great nurse she is!

8. Cleft transformations—It Cleft • The big difference with cleft transformations is that they ALTER sentence patterns. • It-cleft • John cooked dinner (7) • It was John who cooked dinner (3, 7) • The new “it clause” is the main clause • It was dinner that John cooked (3, 7) • The new “it clause” is the main clause

9. Cleft transformations—What Cleft • Cleft transformations alter patterns! • What-Cleft • Fog caused the train wreck (7) becomes • What caused the train wreck was fog (7, 3) • That plan is absurd (2) becomes • What is absurd is that plan (2, 3)

10. Summary • active passive • statement imperative • statement interrogative(uses “-do support”) • positive negative(uses “-do support”) • exclamatory How pretty you look today! • it-cleft It was the bike that Alice stole. • what cleft What Alice stole was a bike. • Emphasis I do believe (not for support!) • There Transformation adds an expletive “there”