Abstract

This paper aims to discuss the analysis of verbless sentences in Modern Standard Arabic (MSA) within the Lexical Functional Grammar (LFG) framework. It discusses the previous analyses in transformational grammar and shows some problems in these analyses, arguing that LFG is more flexible and able to analyze this kind of sentences with fewer problems. This paper argues that verbless sentences in MSA should be divided into two types: the first is when the second part of a verbless sentence is an adjective, and in this type, we argue that the adjective should be analyzed as a predicate within the single-tier analysis. The second type is verbless sentences that contain a nonadjectival complement, and this type is analyzed as containing a null copula within the double-tier analysis.

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