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a. b.
Figure 2.3 Merge Operations in Action O’Grady et al., 2005:
The noun phrase the computer consists of the words the and computer. According to the syntactic categories, the is a determiner and computer is a noun. Therefore,
they merger to form a NP in which N functions as the head. Similarly, the word book is a noun. It merges with the determiner the to form a NP. In the end, it
merges with the verb read to form a larger phrasal category. As the result, they make a VP read the book in which the verb read functions as the head.
b. The I and the Inflection Phrase
The merge operation allows a category to combine to another category to form a larger phrasal category. Continued application of the merge operations
leads to the unlimited and complex formation of phrases and sentences Alip, 2006 and O’Grady et al., 2005: 160. Following the arguments that each merge
should meet the generalisation of the X schema, a sentence also has a head as the major feature. According to O’Grady et al. 2005:160 and Fromkin et al. 2003:
133, sentences have an abstract category dubbed as Inflection I which indicates the sentence tense and specifies the time frame. Category such as modals,
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auxiliary verbs and verbs take I as its category. To make it clear, Figure 2.3 as taken from O’Grady et al. 2005: 160-161 illustrates the explanation above.
b. a.
Figure 2.4 The Structure of a Sentence O’Grady et al., 2005: 160-161
It is clear in Figure 2.4a that the auxiliary verb will is dubbed I as its category because it marks the tense and specifies the time frame. The I merges
with the verb return to form an I and finally the I merge with the NP the explorers to form an IP. However, in Figure 2.4b the merge operation is
somewhat different from Figure 2.4a yet it is clear that I is an abstract category. According to Radford 1997: 94, the I of the Figure 2.4b is the intermediate
projection of the verb returned. Finally, the I merges with the NP the explorers to form the IP. However, it is not the final of the merge operation. It is because a
sentence can be a modifier of another sentence Fromkin et al., 2003: 148-150; O’Grady et al., 2005: 165-167; and Radford, 1997: 94-95. The followings discuss
the sentence which becomes a modifier of another sentence.
c. Complementizer Phrase
Complementizer phrase CP is a phrase which functions as a complement of another clause or phrase O’Grady et al., 2005: 166. By seeing the nature of an
adjective clause and comparing to the definition of the complementizer phrase, an PLAGIAT MERUPAKAN TINDAKAN TIDAK TERPUJI
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adjective clause can be categorised into a complementizer phrase. In relation to the nature of the adjective clause as a complemetizer phrase. Furthermore,
Murphy 1985: 82 also elaborates that an adjective clause gives further information about the noun or pronoun which precede it.
Another important feature of an adjective clause is the relative pronoun. Quirk, Greenbaum, Leech and Svartvik 1985: 365 explain that the adjective
clause is introduced or marked by a relative pronoun. In the perspective of O’Grady et al. 2005: 185 the relative pronoun is a noun phrase. Relative
pronoun is a noun phrase in view of the fact that it corresponds to the noun or pronoun which are modified. The detail explanations of the relative pronoun
category are on the next topic. The following figure is to depict the relation of the CP and the IP. Sentence [2] is used as the example.
Figure 2.5 The Relation of a CP which Modifies a NP in an IP
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Sentence [2] consists of a main clause and an adjective clause. The relative pronoun who marks the clause who helped me as an adjective clause. Considering
the merge operation, the verb helped merges with the object pronoun me to form a VP, however I occurs because the verb helped marks and specifies the time
frame. The I merges with the relative pronoun who to form a CP. CP merges with the noun phrase the woman to form a NP. Then, it merges with the verb thanked
to form a VP, however, it should be dubbed as I because it specifies the time frame and marks the tense. Finally, the I merges with the subject pronoun I to
form an IP. However, talking about the complementizer phrase does not only involve merger operation but also movement operation. The following part
discusses the movement operation related to the adjective clause.
d. Wh Movement and Trace on Complemetizer Phrase
