Morphology and Syntax Constituents

Sentences have structure The girl is tall. Is the girl tall? The tall girl can see the boy who is holding the plate. Can the tall girl see the boy who is holding the plate? Yes/no question formation in English, wrong version: Find the first auxiliary in the clause and put this up front.

The boy who is holding the plate can see the tall girl. *Is the boy who holding the plate can see the tall girl? Can the boy who is holding the plate see the tall girl? Yes/no question formation in English: Find the first auxiliary after a particular group of words belonging together, namely the subject of the sentence, and put this up front.

How to detect constituents A. A constituent can be replaced by a single word. B. A constituent can, as a whole, be placed in a different position in the sentence.

Noun Phrases (NPs) [Cats] are lovely. [Intelligent cats] are lovely. [Cats with long tails] are lovely. [Intelligent cats with long tails] are lovely. *[Intelligent] are lovely. *[With long tails] are lovely. *[Intelligent with long tails] are lovely.

NPs can be replaced by pronouns Joan saw the boy who fed the cat. Joan saw him. *Joan saw him who fed the cat. Joan saw the boy while he fed the cat. Joan saw him while he fed the cat.

The elderly but still youthful looking lady who was eating a sandwich while waiting for the bus fell on the pavement. She fell on the pavement. The elderly but still youthful looking lady who was eating it while waiting for the bus fell on the pavement.

Preposition Phrases (PPs) The man [in the room] *The man [the room] Water [under the bridge] * Water [the bridge]

PPs can be replaced by adverbs She went to the port of Rotterdam. She went there. I have never seen that in a place like Edinburgh. I have never seen that here.

He was in the theatre with the old chairs. *He was there with the old chairs. He was there. He was in the theatre with a friend of mine. He was there with a friend of mine.

Adjective Phrases (APs) Marian seems [very ill]. That music is [too loud to be bearable]. *Marian seems [very]. *That music is [too to be bearable].

APs can be replaced by so Marian seems very ill and Harriet seems so, too. Harry is rather weird. Harry is rather weird and Bill is so, too. *Harry is rather weird, and Bill is very so, too. This test only works when the AP is used predicatively, not when it is used attributively: *a rather weird man and a so woman, too

Verb Phrases (VPs) I like to [talk a lot about cheese sandwiches]. I like to [read books in the evening]. *I like to [a lot about something]. *I like to [books in the evening].

VPs can be replaced by do so Mary will rent some dvds tonight and Bill will do so as well. Shane has given money to that charity and Jane has done so, too.

Constituents can be ‘displaced’ Mary will never read that novel by Robinson. That novel by Robinson Mary will never read. *That novel Mary will never read by Robinson. Shelly was reading a book in the garden. In the garden Shelly was reading a book. *A book in the garden Shelly was reading. John never will read a thousand novels. Read a thousand novels, John never will. *Read, John will never a thousand novels.

Constituents can be questioned Ruby ate a sandwich with cheddar. What did Ruby eat? Answer: A sandwich with cheddar *What did Ruby eat cheddar? Answer: A sandwich with John was in the large garden. Where was John?Answer: In the large garden *Where was John garden? Answer: In the large

Cleft sentences It – form of to be – X – that – Y where X is the ‘focus’ of the cleft. It was Messi that scored the goal. It is the female that has yellow feathers. It is a strong tree that can carry such a heavy burden.

Only constituents can be the focus of a cleft The old lady with the grey coat fell on the steep stairs. It was the old lady with the grey coat that fell on the steep stairs. It was on the steep stairs that the old lady with the grey coat fell. *It was the old lady that with the grey coat fell on the steep stairs. *It was on the steep that the old lady with the grey coat fell stairs.