Katz and Fodor's semantic decomposition demonstrates that primitive features like [+ANIMATE] and [+HUMAN] systematically explain selectional restrictions that surface forms cannot.

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Katz and Fodor(as the researchers whose work is being discussed): Two influential linguists and philosophers from the mid-20th century who developed theories about how meaning works in language and how our minds process words.
Selectional restrictions(as limitations on which words can combine with each other): Rules about which words can logically go together in a sentence based on what they mean—for example, you can 'eat food' but not 'eat a rock' (even though 'eat a rock' is grammatically correct).
Semantic decomposition(as the main theory being described): The idea that the meaning of a word can be broken down into smaller, basic units of meaning—like taking apart a piece of furniture to see what it's made of.
Surface forms(as what grammar alone cannot explain): The actual words and sentence structure you see written or hear spoken, as opposed to the hidden rules about meaning underneath.
[+ANIMATE] and [+HUMAN](as examples of primitive features): Symbolic labels used to mark basic features of meaning: [+ANIMATE] means 'living/able to move,' and [+HUMAN] means 'being a person.' The plus signs indicate the feature is present.
primitive features(as used in philosophy of language and semantics): Basic, fundamental building blocks that can't be broken down any further—like treating 'speed' or 'effort' as a basic element you don't need to explain in simpler terms.

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