meaning-changing/meaning-preserving

A theoretical distinction introduced in early GENERATIVE GRAMMAR between two types of TRANSFORMATIONS. If the operation of a transformation involves a change in the MEANING between input and DERIVED SENTENCES, the transformation is said to be ‘meaning-changing’; in ‘meaning-preserving’ transformations, there is no such change. An example of the former would be in deriving IMPERATIVE sentences from an UNDERLYING (DECLARATIVE) STRUCTURE by using a you-DELETION transformation (e.g. see from you see); here is a plain contrast between declarative and imperative ‘meanings’, and the reason for the appearance of this contrast in the grammar is the use of the transformation. On the other hand, if the imperative is derived from an underlying structure where its ‘imperativeness’ has been represented, then the application of the you-deletion transformation would no longer change the structure’s meaning, but simply make tangible an element of meaning which was already present (viz. Imp. + see ⇒ see). Other examples of meaning-changing transformations include negative placement (e.g. Not much shrapnel hit the soldier v. Much shrapnel did not hit the soldier) and subject raising (e.g. It is certain that nobody will pass the test v. Nobody is certain to pass the test).