(in transformational grammar) the structure of a well-formed phrase or sentence in a language, as opposed to its underlying logical form.
（转换语法中的）表层结构。与DEEP STRUCTURE 相对
rules of transformation change deep structure into surface structure
Contrasted with deep structure
count nounthose types of sentences which have deep structures identical to their surface structures will be called base sentences
Example sentencesExamples
Possibly, the present verbal dual task interferes mostly with the phonological surface structure of the spatial sentence and not with the underlying propositional content.
That is, switching should occur at points where the surface structures of the two languages map onto each other.
While this set of sentences has the surface structure of a formal argument, its persuasive force lies at a different level.
The theory postulates that the two sentences have the same order in deep structure, but the question transformation changes the order to that in surface structure.
Definition of surface structure in US English:
surface structure
nounˈsərfəs ˈstrək(t)ʃər
(in generative grammar) the structure of a well-formed phrase or sentence in a language, as opposed to its underlying abstract representation.
（转换语法中的）表层结构。与DEEP STRUCTURE 相对
rules of transformation change deep structure into surface structure
Contrasted with deep structure
count nounthose types of sentences which have deep structures identical to their surface structures will be called base sentences
Example sentencesExamples
Possibly, the present verbal dual task interferes mostly with the phonological surface structure of the spatial sentence and not with the underlying propositional content.
That is, switching should occur at points where the surface structures of the two languages map onto each other.
While this set of sentences has the surface structure of a formal argument, its persuasive force lies at a different level.
The theory postulates that the two sentences have the same order in deep structure, but the question transformation changes the order to that in surface structure.