substitution (n.)

A term used in LINGUISTICS to refer to the process or result of replacing one ITEM by another at a particular place in a STRUCTURE. In GRAMMAR, the structural CONTEXT within which this replacement occurs is known as a substitution frame, e.g. The — is angry, and the set of items which can be used PARADIGMATICALLY at a given place is known as a substitution class. A WORD which refers back to a previously occurring element of structure (such as the PRONOUN he in The man came in. He was smiling.) may be called a substitute word. In GOVERNMENT-BINDING THEORY, substitution is one of the two main types of MOVEMENT process (the other being ADJUNCTION); it involves the moved category replacing an EMPTY category of the same kind in accordance with the STRUCTURE-preserving CONSTRAINT. In language teaching, exercises to improve the ability of learners to carry out a process of item replacement are known as substitution drills (or ‘pattern drills’).