The Simple Sentence in Transformational Grammar.
According to the transformational approach there are two main types sentences: kernel sentences and transforms. (P. Roberts, O. Thomas, N. Chomsky). The main types of English kernel sentences might be illustrated by such sentences as the following:
1. John is heroic. (a hero) NP + be + substantive
2. John is in the room. NP + be + Adv-p
3. John worked. NP + VI
4. John paid the bill. NP + VT + NP
5. John became a hero. (heroic) NP + Vb + substantive
6. John felt sad. NP + Vs + Adj
7. John had a car. NP + Vh + NP
Note: Adv.-p = an adverbial modifier of place
VI = an intransitive verb
VT = a transitive verb
Vb = Verbs of becoming
Vh = the verb “to have”.
According to this approach indirect objects and objective complements are not included in the kernel, whereas such an optional element as the adverbial is contained in the kernel. The principle sentence elements of syntactic units of transformational generative grammar are the phrasal units the Noun Phrase and the verb Phrase.
All other structures of English can be thought of as deriving from the kernel. All the more complicated sentences of English are derivations from, or the transformations of the kernel.
For example, the kernel sentence “The dog barked” indicates a certain relationship between the noun dog and the verb bark. We find exactly the same relationship in such transforms as “The barking dog frightened me”, “The barking of the dog kept us awake”.
(kernel) The dog is sad.
(transform) I dont like dogs that are too sad.