EL1101E Syntax tutorial

PHRASE STRUCTURE RULES S NP-VP NP (Det)-(AdjP)-N-(PP) VP V-(NP)-(PP) PP P-NP AdjP (AdvP)-Adj AdvP Adv Remember that our PSRs are not set in stone -- they may need to be changed to fit new data or phenomena we come across.

Q1a. under the bridge

Q1a. PP P NP P Det N under the bridge

Q1a. PP NP P Det N under the bridge

Q1b. fell into the pond

Q1b. VP V NP fell into the pond V P Det N VP -> V PP (not NP) is the relevant rule here.

Q1b. VP PP V P NP fell Det N into the pond

Q1c. this silly picture of Ai

Q1c. NP Det AdjP N PP Det Adj N P N this silly picture of Ai

Q1c. NP Det PP AdjP N NP P Adj picture this N of silly Ai

Q1d. Pat loves Robin passionately

Q1d. S NP VP N V N Adv Pat loves Robin passionately

Q1d. S VP NP AdjP NP V N Adv loves N Pat passionately Robin ‘Passionately’ is an Adv that should project into an AdvP, not AdjP :)

Q1e. Robin talked to the manager over the phone

Q1e. S NP VP Robin talked to the manager over the phone N V P Det N P Det N Robin talked to the manager over the phone S NP VP

Q1e. S VP NP PP V PP NP P N talked NP P on Det N Robin Det N to the phone the manager And the second P in this sentence was actually ‘over’ in the handout, of course. :) This sentence is also potentially structurally ambiguous – Check the main blog post for more details.

Q2.1 S The sentence is grammatical. NP VP N V NP Oge xa N ika

Q2.2 The sentence is ungrammatical. NP VP Det N V NP Ye amu vo N oge

Q2.3 The sentence is ungrammatical. NP VP N N V Det Ika oge xa ye

Q2.4 The sentence is grammatical. S NP VP N Det V NP Oge ye vo N Det ika ye

Q2.5 S The sentence is grammatical. NP VP N V NP Amu xa N oge

Q2.6 NP VP The sentence is ungrammatical. V NP N Vo ika N oge

Q2.7 S The sentence is grammatical. NP VP N Det V NP Amu ye vo N ika

Q2.8 Det N V Det N Ye ika xa ye oge The sentence is ungrammatical.

Q2.9 The sentence is ungrammatical. VP NP V NP Xa N Det amu ye Yes, it is indeed ungrammatical as a full sentence, but it’s kind of interesting that it does manage to make a well-formed VP at least.

Q2.10 S The sentence is grammatical. NP VP N Det V NP Oge ye xa N amu

Q3 Where has John put the car? NP Aux VP N V NP PP Det N P NP Det N Argue that where originated to the right of the car a) John has put the car in the garage. b) * John has put. c) * John has put the car. d) * John has put in the garage. e) * Where has John put the car in the garage? S NP Aux VP N V NP PP Det N P NP Det N

Q3 NP Aux VP N V NP PP Det N P NP Where has John put the car? Det N Argue that where originated to the right of the car a) John has put the car in the garage. b) * John has put the car in the garage. (Direct Object + PP missing) c) * John has put the car in the garage. (PP missing) d) * John has put the car in the garage. (Direct object missing) Observation: Acceptable when sentence contains both direct object and PP.

S → NP (AUX) VP Subject Auxiliary Inversion N V NP PP Det N P NP Det N S Aux NP VP N V NP PP Det N P NP Det N Underlying Structure Derived Structure John has put the car in the garage. Has John put the car in the garage?

Q3 Has John put the car in the garage? e) * Where has John put the car in the garage? (Extra PP) Observation: Acceptable if sentence contains only ONE PP. Has John put the car in the garage where Where has John put the car where Where must have originated to the right of the car and was moved to sentence-initial position in the surface structure. Yes, i.e., “where” actually started to the right of “the car” as a stand in for the PP “in the garage”.

Q4 Wanna-Contraction: Optional pronunciation of Want to as Wanna

Appropriate use of Wanna-Contraction Questions Answers Who do you {wanna} visit? I want to visit James. Who would you {wanna} go out with? I want to go out with James. How many of your friends do you {wanna} invite to the wedding? I want to invite 2 friends to the wedding.

Appropriate use of Wanna-Contraction Common trend in answers: “I want to ____.”

Inappropriate use of Wanna-Contraction Questions Answers Who do you {*wanna} win the game? I want Liverpool to win the game. Who would you {*wanna} look after your pets? I want John to look after my pets. How many of your friends do you {*wanna} stay with us? I want 2 friends to stay with us.

Inappropriate use of Wanna-Contraction Common trend in answers: “I want (subject/NP) to ___.”

Who do I want to visit [trace]? Transformation Conversion of a statement to a question (acceptable case): I want to visit James. I want to visit who? Who do I want to visit [trace]? Trace - Empty (phonologically null) category that occupies a position in the syntactic structure. We didn’t go through traces in this class, so you don’t have to worry about them :) The important thing to see is that “wanna” contraction is blocked when the wh-word originally started between the “want” and “to” and moved out from there.

Transformation I want James to look after my pets. Conversion of a statement to a question (unacceptable case): I want James to look after my pets. I want who to look after my pets? Who do I want [trace] to look after my pets?

Thank you.