ELI5: Explain Like I'm 5

Transformational syntax

Transformational syntax is like playing with blocks. You start with the same blocks, but you can make different structures with them by moving them around. Just like you can build a tower with two blocks, or make a bridge with four blocks, you can change the order of words in a sentence to make different meanings.

For example, let's take the sentence "The cat chased the mouse." If we switch the order of the words, we get "The mouse was chased by the cat." Even though the words are in a different order, we know that it's still about a cat and a mouse playing tag!

Transformational syntax helps us understand how words can fit together to make sentences in any language. Just like we can build different things with blocks, we can build different sentences by switching around the words. It's like a puzzle, but instead of putting pieces together, we're putting words together to make meaning.