structural change (SC)

A term used in (especially classical) TRANSFORMATIONAL GRAMMAR to refer to the operations involved in applying a transformational RULE, i.e. the changes between the input and the output PHRASE-MARKERS. In the transformation of ACTIVE into PASSIVE SENTENCES, for example, the structural change is complex, involving the REORDERING of the two NOUN PHRASES, and the INSERTION of new forms of the VERB, and the AGENT marker by (e.g. The dog bit the cat v. The cat was bitten by the dog).