Background

There are different approaches of analysis which are used in Descriptive Approach or Descriptive Grammars. Yesterday weve seen how Parts of Speech can be identified using test frames (sentences with empty slots). Weve also seen how such kind of analysis help us revise traditional definitions of Parts of Speech. So IC Analysis is also a technique in Descriptive Approach, which is used by linguists to analyse sentences and linguistics structures.

IC Analysis

This notion was proposed by the American linguist Leonard Bloomfield in his

Language, first published in 1933.

The aim of this approach is to find out how small constituents or components (parts) in a sentence join together to form larger constituents or parts. So in this approach the linguist will divide each part or constituent in two parts or constituents until the final or Ultimate Constituents are obtained i.e. when more division is not possible. Let us try to analyse a sentence using IC Analysis: Poor John runs away. The first question is how to group these words? As we have said earlier, IC Analysis will cut this sentence in two pieces. But which two? [Poor] [John runs away]? [Poor John] [runs away]? [Poor John runs] [away]? Which binary division is right here? The answer is that the parts which look most relevant to each other; which make some sense grammatically when they are put together. So we have just completed first step of IC Analysis of the above sentence and found out that Immediate Constituents of Poor John runs away are

Poor John and runs away.

So first divisions or cuts of a sentence or a smaller construction such as a phrase are immediate constituents (ICs). Let us subdivide these ICs further. [Poor John] [runs away] [{Poor} {John}] [{runs} {away}] As it can be seen that, we have further subdivided the ICs of previous level. Please note here that: IC Analysis is a hierarchical analysis showing the different constituents at different structural levels based on the distribution of linguistic forms. IC Analysis is a step by step approach at each level. It assumes that a sentence or phrase or any IC has layers. So without bisecting one layer, we cannot reach the inner layer.

Hierarchy means step by step, layer within layer or system within system. Linguistic units can be parts of larger constructions and may themselves also be constructions composed of smaller parts. Now let us move further to the end of our analysis. [{Poor} {John}] [{runs} {away}] [{Poor} {John}] [{(run)(s)} {away}] As it can be seen, we have bisected the Constituent runs in further ICs i.e. run and s. As it can be seen that no constituent can be further subdivided. So weve reached the end. Each constituent at this level is called Ultimate Constituent. They are the final divisions or constituents of a phrase. IC Analysis can be done through various techniques. Using large brackets is one of them.

[[[

Poor

] [John]

] [[

[run][s]

] [away]]

Using Tree Diagram is a very powerful way to describe ICs.

Other ways to show ICs Most linguists use labels to show the constituents at each level. So we can see below: Poor John runs away. Sentence

Subject

Predicate

Adjective

Noun

Verb

Particle

Poor

John

Base Inflection run -s

away

Assumptions of IC Analysis

IC Analysis assumes that:

The biggest linguistic unit or construction is sentence. A sentence is constructed by phrases, and thus, can be analyzed into phrases. A phrase is constructed by words, and thus, can be analyzed into words. We shall see some advantages and disadvantages in next lecture.

IC Analysis Practice

Analyse the following using IC Analysis The man bought a car. Leave the book on the shelf.

A pretty lady lent many books.

Advantages of IC Analysis
IC Analysis identifies different layers of relationship within a construction. As we have seen already, IC analysis assumes that there are systems within systems in a piece of language (usually a sentence) so it can be used to identify how different layers are being related to each other. [The pretty girl] [put on her red and blue coat kissed her mother and left]. IC Analysis can be used to disambiguate sentences or phrases. A very famous example is old men and women. The adjective old is attached to men only or men and women both? IC Analysis can help:

Limitations of IC Analysis
IC Analysis cannot analyse the sequences that are separated i.e. discontinuous. E.g. Is John coming? The verb is is more related to coming but the whole constituent is coming is separated by John so IC Analysis will have a problem here, as it assumes that language is essentially linear. But that is not the case always. IC Analysis cannot help very well without labeling. Simply bracketing cannot help to point out the sources of ambiguity in a sentence. IC Analysis of examples like Flying planes can be dangerous cannot be helpful unless a labeling is given. Because flying planes works means planes which fly in first case, while in other case is means the act of flying a plane.