There is an excellent page in the introduction of Jackendoff’s book that I think is a great illustration of just how complex language is, to be trying to talk about it in an ad hoc manner.

http://sitb-images.amazon.com/Qffs+v35leraEu3x8Au9mv9K/rTAZQ...

It shows various analyses (phonological, syntactic, semantic) of the sentence

  The little star’s beside the big star.