Performance Adjective Clause X-Bar Schema

6

F. Definition of Terms

This research uses some technical terms in the area of linguistics and language teaching. In order to avoid misunderstanding among the readers, the writer provides some definitions of terms related to the research based on relevant sources.

1. Performance

According to McKean 2005, performance is an action, task, or operation seen in terms on how successfully it was. In this research, performance refers to on how successful the sixth semester students on applying the concepts and theories of the X schema to analyse the adjective clauses. Furthermore, a test which consists of two parts is administered to elicit the students’ performance. Once the students’ scores are obtained, the students’ performance is classified according to the academic regulations of Sanata Dharma University which are used as the benchmark.

2. Adjective Clause

Azar 1999: 267 states that adjective clause or relative clause is a dependent clause that modifies a noun. It describes, identifies or gives further information about a noun. On the other hands, Yule 2004: 240 adds that adjective clauses do not only describe and identify nouns but also people. An adjective clause uses relative pronoun such as who, which, whom and that to connect the dependent clause to the independent clause. Murphy 1985: 7 182-184 elaborates that the relative pronoun who is used to talk about people, which is used for things, that can be used either for people or things. In addition, whom is used when the adjective clause functions as an object in formal English.

3. X-Bar Schema

According to O’Grady et al. 2005: 658, X schema is the template for phrase structure, indicating that a phrase is hierarchically organised with a head, complement and specifier. The symbol X is used as a variable denoting any word category. In addition, Radford 1997: 535 adds that the X is an intermediate projection headed by a word category. Furthermore, according to O’Grady et al. 2005: 155-157, the X schema captures four generalisations. First, all phrases have a three-level structure. Second, all phrases contain a head. Third, if there is a complement, it is attached at the intermediate X level as a ‘sister’ of the head. Fourth, if there is a specifier, it is attached at the XP level.

4. Tree Diagram