Surface Structure

Surface structure refers to the arrangement of words and phrases in a sentence as they are spoken or written before any grammatical adjustments are made. It is the initial, raw form of a sentence, capturing the intended meaning and order of ideas. Think of it as the basic blueprint or draft that highlights how concepts are organized, which can later be modified for clarity or correctness through processes like transformation or grammatical rules. Essentially, surface structure shows the sentence’s form as it appears externally, serving as the foundation for understanding and analyzing language.