Homework Syntax Assignment Instructions

LING 301 H OMEWORK : S YNTAX A SSIGNMENT I NSTRUCTIONS O VERVIEW This assignment provides practice in identifying constituents, constructing sentence diagrams using a tree structure, isolating embedded sentences, and describing phrase structures. I NSTRUCTIONS Each exercise below provides specific instructions. Please read the instructions carefully and answer each question completely. Answers should be given in the appropriate format for the exercise: either type your answers to each question inside the table or text box provided, type your answer below the question, underline or highlight your answers, or in the case of tree diagrams you may also insert images of handwritten or drawn responses. The total point value for this assignment is 70 points. CONSTITUENCY TESTS 1. Apply the substitution (= pronominalization) test to determine which of the bracketed sequences in the following sentences from constituents. Support your answer by rewriting each sentence with the substitution. An example has been provided for you. Sentence Test Constituent? (Yes or No) [A girl in the office] talked with the doctor and the nurse. [She] talked with the doctor and the nurse. Yes The girl with the big dog jogged [in the park] . The girl with the big dog jogged there. Yes The happy students read many [books in the library] . The happy students read many works. Yes The man ran [up the hill] and became so tired. The man ran it and became so tired. Yes Jane will [leave town] . Jason will move. No 2. Apply the movement (= fronting) test to determine which of the bracketed sequences in the following sentences form constituents. Support your answer by rewriting each sentence with the bracketed sequence moved. An example has been provided for you. Sentence Test Constituent? Page 1 of 6

LING 301 (Yes or No) We ate our lunch [near the river bank]. Near the river bank, we ate our lunch. Yes The man at the desk looked [up the number] in the telephone book. The man at the desk looked in the telephone book up the number. No The [island has been] flooded. The flooded island has been. No I love [peanut butter and jelly sandwiches] . Peanut butter and jelly sandwiches I love. Yes The athlete worked [out the problem] . Out the problem the athlete worked. No 3. Using one or more of the constituency tests (i.e. stand alone, move as a unit, replacement by a pronoun) discussed in the chapter, determine which of the bracketed portions in the sentences are constituents (and which are not). Provide the grammatical category (NP, VP, etc.) of the constituents. (Textbook, Exercise 12) Sentence Test(s) Constituent ? (Yes or No) Grammatical Category Martha found [ a lovely pillow] for the couch. A lovely pillow Martha found for the couch. Yes NP The [ light in this room] is terrible. Light in this room the is terrible. No NP I wonder [ whether Bonnie has finished packing her books] . Whether Bonnie has finished packing her books, I wonder. Yes VP Melissa slept [ in her class] . Mellisa slept there. Yes NP PHRASE STRUCTURE TREES 4. Draw two phrase structure trees to represent the two meanings for, or ways to interpret this sentence: The magician touched the child with the wand. Page 2 of 6

LING 301 EMBEDDED SENTENCES 5. In all languages, sentences can occur within sentences. Sometimes embedded sentences appear slightly changed from their normal forms. Underline or highlight the embedded sentences in the following items. (Textbook, Exercise 9) Note: Underline in the non-English sentences, when given, not in the translations. An example has been provided for you. Yesterday I noticed my accountant repairing the toilet . (The embedded sentence is “my accountant repairing the toilet. When in doubt, first identify the subject of the main sentence, then the verb that accompanies it.) a. It’s ridiculous that he washes his own Rolls-Royce . b. The woman likes for the waiter to bring water when she sits down. c. The person who answers this question will win $100. d. The idea of Romeo marrying a 13-year-old is upsetting. e. I gave my hat to the nurse who helped me cut my hair. f. For your children to spend all your royalty payments on recreational drugs is a shame. g. Give this fork to the person I’m getting the pie for. h. khȃw chyȃ waǎ khruu maa. ( Thai) He believe that teacher come He believes that the teacher is coming. i. Je me demande quand il partira . (French) I me ask when he will leave I wonder when he’ll leave. j. Jan zei dat Piet dit boek niet heft gelzen . (Dutch) Jan said that Piet this book not has read Jan said that Piet has not read this book. PHRASE STRUCTURES 6. Tamil is a language spoken in India by upward of 70 million people. Following are word-for-word translations of prepositional phrases from Tamil to English. (Exercise 16) Tamil English The bed on “on the bed” The village from “from the village” a. Based on these data, is Tamil a head initial or a head final language? Head final language b. What would the phrase structure tree for a Tamil prepositional phrase look like? PP NP Det N P The bed on Page 4 of 6

LING 301 TREE DIAGRAMS 7. Draw tree diagrams for the following sentences.  You may use a drawing software and import your drawing, hand draw and import as an image, or insert lines and shapes here to complete your trees.  If you import images, make sure they are correctly oriented (upright) and easy to read.  Space in between each sentence below as needed to insert your answer. Hint: your text does not address diagramming conjunctions. Simply drop the conjunction down between the two elements and label it “conj”. a. Cats with long tails sauntered along the fence. S NP VP PP PP NP AP NP N P adj N V P det N Cats with long tails sauntered along the fence b. Patrick thinks that sugar gliders are excellent pets. (Treat ‘sugar gliders” as a single noun) S VP CP S VP NP NP NP AP N V C N V adj N Patrick thinks that sugar-gliders are excellent pets c. We moved the desk through the door and into the hall. S VP PP PP conj PP NP NP NP NP Pro V det N P det N P det N We moved the desk through the door and into the hall Page 5 of 6