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Comparing Figure 2.9 to Figure 2.10, the tree diagrams clearly show the syntactic structures of the sentence. It does not only capture the merge of each syntactic
category merges but also captures the transformation from the deep structures into the surface structures.
Based on the use of the tree diagram to analyse a sentence which contains an adjective clause as Figure 2.10 illustrates, it is clear that the tree diagram is
able to capture the merge operation of each syntactic category as well as the movement and the trace of a category. The merge operations result on the deep
structure in which the relative pronoun whom is in its original position. The movement operation then captures the movement of the relative pronoun whom
into new position which results the surface structure.
B. Theoretical Framework
X bar schema provides analytical explanation on how sentences like the adjective clause is generated. The core of the X schema is the head, specifiers and
complement. The X captures the hierarchical structures of phrases and sentence in the form of tree diagram. In particular, X schema captures four generalisations
O’Grady et al., 2005: 156. First, all phrases have a three-level structure X, X and XP. Second, all phrases contain a head X. Third, if there is a complement, it
is attached at the intermediate X level as a sister. Finally, if there is a specifier it is attached at the XP level. Head is the obligatory feature of a phrase whereas
specifier and complement can merge to the head alternatively through merger PLAGIAT MERUPAKAN TINDAKAN TIDAK TERPUJI
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operations. The merger operation is an operation by which two categories are combined to form another category.
In the light of the X schema, the adjective clause is perceived as a complementizer phrase CP. It is due to the fact that an adjective clause functions
as a modifier of another clause whereas the relative pronoun is categorised into a noun phrase as its syntactic category. Since the adjective clause functions as a
modifier which embeds into another superordinate clause, two layers analyses are needed. First, the deep structure as the results of the merger operation will capture
the actual arrangement of the sentence. Second, by applying the Wh movement principle which requires to move the Wh phrase or the relative pronoun under the
CP, it will result to the actual performance or the surface structure. The Wh movement also captures that there is an empty position which is resulted by the
movement of the Wh phrase. Once it is vacated, the position is marked by a trace t. As a result, the trace captures the original position of the relative pronoun
before the movement. In spite of its rigorous use to explain language, the X schema is utterly
poles apart from the practice of English language teaching which in turns makes it worth researching. This current study tries to see the students’ performance on
using the X schema to analyse the adjective clauses. The study also attempts to make the general classifications of the students’ mistakes in applying the X
schema. Once the students’ performance is observed and the mistakes are recorded, further improvement for increasing the students’ performance could be
attained. PLAGIAT MERUPAKAN TINDAKAN TIDAK TERPUJI
CHAPTER III
RESEARCH METHODOLOGY
The writer elaborates the methodology of the research in this chapter mainly to put forward the rationale of using certain instrument as well as its
validity and reliability. It also provides the type of the research, data gathering procedure and data analysis procedure. Related literatures are reviewed as the
basis of the methodology to disclose accurate and reliable data.
A. Research Method
