NOT LIKE US: IMAGINING MEANING IN SYNTACTIC PRESENCE AND ABSENCE OF THE TO-BE VERB
Kata Kunci:
grammar; meaning; syntax; to-be verb; zero copulaAbstrak
A sentence consists of a deep and surface structure that could contain different propositions, which are used to transfer meanings to the addressee. This study examines the syntactic structure of a song lyric entitled Not Like Us, which was sung by Kendrick Lamar, to analyse the meanings conveyed in the sentences expressed with linguistic deviation. This research is conducted using a qualitative method where sentences in every line of the lyrics are analysed in terms of the presence and absence of the to-be verb. This study aims to categorize the use of the to-be verb in the song Not Like Us and find the implied meaning found in sentences with both the syntactic presence and absence of the to-be verb. This classification is decided under the theory of English grammar syntax and Systemic Functional Grammar, which is then analysed regarding its implied meaning with the theory of Argument Structure Construction and creativity in word formation, resulting in the descriptive analyses of the phenomena. This research argues that the absence of the to-be verb is a communicative way to convey a particular meaning, rather than being considered a grammatical error. The result of this study concludes that word arrangement in song lyrics conveys meanings differently depending on the use of English grammar and syntactically unaccepted structure. The findings of this study contribute to the study of meaning in song lyrics using syntax and grammar theory to reduce bias in interpretation.Referensi
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