constituent structure

Constituent structure refers to how words are organized within a sentence, showing which words group together to form meaningful units. Think of it like a building made of blocks: some blocks group into a larger chunk, like a noun phrase ("the tall man") or a verb phrase ("is running"). These groups, called constituents, function as single units within the sentence, helping us understand its meaning and grammatical relationships. Recognizing constituents helps clarify how words combine and relate, making sentence analysis both precise and systematic.