Semantic Syntax

Semantic Syntax is represented by the names of Charles McCawley, W. Chafe, Russian linguists O.I.Moskalskaya and V.V.Bogdanov.

Semantic syntax describes sentences in terms of propositions, semantic structures (= deep structures), predicates and arguments. Relations between predicates and arguments are analysed in terms of deep cases: agentive case, objective case, instrumental case, locative case, beneficiary case, etc.

I open the door is a proposition. It’s semantic structure is as follows : the predicate is open; arguments are I and the door. I and open are connected by the agentive case; open the door by objective case as the door is an object. In the proposition The door opened. the door is logically an object, though grammatically it’s a subject, so that is an objective case. In the proposition The hammerbroke the window the hammer logically is an instrument, broke is the predicate, the window is an object.

The present day trend is textual linguistics and intertextual linguistics. They describe discourse, its generation and relations between sentences and texts The linguistic scene is dominated by traditionalism, structuralism, behaviorism, functionalism, transformationalism, generativism, poststructuralism, cognitivism.

On the eve of the XXI- st century linguistics is flourishing throughout the world, but much is in flux to predict newer theories with any confidence.