The correct answer is: A. recognition of basic syntactic constructs through reductions.
Syntax analysis is the first phase of compilation, where the compiler checks the program for syntactic errors. It does this by recognizing the basic syntactic constructs of the language, such as statements, expressions, and declarations. These constructs are then reduced to a more abstract form, which can be used by the next phase of compilation, semantic analysis.
Option B is incorrect because it describes the process of lexical analysis, which is the first step in compilation. Lexical analysis is responsible for breaking the program into individual tokens, such as identifiers, keywords, and operators.
Option C is incorrect because it describes the process of semantic analysis, which is the second phase of compilation. Semantic analysis is responsible for checking the program for semantic errors, such as type errors and scope errors.
Option D is incorrect because it describes the process of code generation, which is the final phase of compilation. Code generation is responsible for translating the program into machine code.
Option E is incorrect because it is not a valid option.