Longman Dictionary of

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constituent analysis
constituent analysis n
also immediate constituent analysis
A technique sometimes used in teaching and in grammatical analysis
in which a sentence is analyzed into its main parts or constituents,
hierarchically arranged to show their relationship to each
other. It results in a description of a phrase, clause or sentence as
one of a hierarchy of grammatical categories assigned to the linguistic
units.
see CONSTITUENT STRUCTURE
constituent identification n
see CHUNKING
constituent structure n
another term for PHRASE STRUCTURE
constraint n
a principle of UNIVERSAL GRAMMAR that prohibits certain types of grammatical
operations from applying to certain types of structures.
constraints n
see OPTIMALITY THEORY
constriction n constricted adj
(in the production of speech sounds) the narrowing of any part of the
mouth or the throat (the VOCAL TRACT) to restrict the passage of the
airstream from the lungs.
see also MANNER OF ARTICULATION
construct n
a concept that is not observed directly but is inferred on the basis of
observable phenomena and that can help in the analysis and understanding
of events and phenomena. Examples of constructs used in the study
of language are ROLE and STATUS.
construct validity n
(in testing) a type of VALIDITY that is based on the extent to which the
items in a test reflect the essential aspects of the theory on which the test
is based (i.e., the CONSTRUCT). For example, the greater the relationship
that can be demonstrated between a test of COMMUNICATIVE COMPETENCE
in a language and the theory of communicative competence, the greater
the construct validity of the test.
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