Problem I (No credit, but must be completed)
Problem I (No credit, but must be completed)
Draw the phrase marker for the following sentences, include subindexing and C:
(1) Mary's friend bought a house.
(2) A friend of the student stole his textbook.
(3) A toe of this leg of Henry's dog is causing problems for him.
(4) John asked if Mary was sleeping.
Problem II (for credit)
Find all anaphors and pronominals in the three above sentences and determine their possible antecedents.
Example: The boys said that their homework is too hard.
Problem III (not for credit; must be turned in)
Determine the definiteness and the indefiniteness of each noun in the above sentences.
example: The dog with a limp bit a nasty old lady with my cane.
ans: dog is definite (modified by the)
limp is indefinite; no definite determiner.
lady is indefinite; no definite determiner.
my is definite (inherent property of all definite pronouns).
cane is definite (modified by my).
Problem IV (for credit)
Identify the mood of every clause in:
(4) a. The tornado blew the town away.
indicative mood.
b. Kyle will take syntax if he is accepted.
matrix = indicative mood; embedded = conditional mood.
c. Were the 12 dogs chasing jackrabbits?
interrogative mood.
d. Whether or not Henry has a black eye, he will ask Lulu for a date.
regardless mood = embedded, indicative = matrix.
e. Henry is insisting that his prof pass him.
indicative mood = matrix, embedded = imperative.
example: Henry likes squirrels. = indicative mood.
Problem V (not for credit, but must be completed)
Cite the specific rules (P-Rules) that are violated in the following sentence:
(4) *Purse Priscilla's was taken by John's that of friend.
correct form: Priscilla's purse was taken by that friend of John's.
example: *Friend a of John's a car bought.
answer: NP --> Det NP (non-iterative) :: *friend a.
VP --> V {(NP) (PP), AP} :: *a car bought.
*Purse Priscilla's was taken by John's that of friend.
NPi --> NPj + NPi. possessives to the left.
NPi --> NPi + NPk: D goes to the left of the projection of N.
This page last updated 9 JL 2001
