Linguistics 322

Weekly Exercise No. 9

Answers

Complete Exercise I on p. 197

Just do the raising here, don't try the passive movement yet. Answer part (i) only for now. Save (ii) and (iii) for later.

1. The temperature is believed to have dropped.

Basic propositions:

• believe X
• X = temperature have dropped

add tense propositions:

• [-Past [ believe X ]]
• X = [- Tense [ temperature have dropped ]].

1. Which athlete is likely to be banned?

basic propositions

• (be) likely X
• X = which athlete be banned

add tense propositions:

• [ -Past [ (be) likely X ]]
• [ -Tense [ athlete be banned ]]

Note that which has been placed under DP. Which includes the feature [+Def]. Cf:

1. A: Which book did John read?
2. B: *He read a book.
3. B: He read this book/the book on the table/Mary's book.

The first response by B is unacceptable at the discourse level. The sentence itself is fine. The three variants in the acceptable answer are all definite.

1. It is hard to be seen to be losing.

basic propositions

• (be) hard X
• X = (be) seen Y
• Y = (be) losing

add tense propositions:

• [ -Past [ (be) hard X ]]
• [ -Tense [ (be) seen Y ]]
• [ -Tense [ (be) losing ]]

There are no NPs here to raise. The only movement that there is the raising of the auxiliary verb be to [-Past]. Theoretically, there is an invisible NP here. We leave this invisible NP for L405.

Determine the complete derivation of the following sentences (including all raising):

1. Who seems to have written the book which Mary does not like?

1. What does John seem to have thrown away?

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List of Exercises

322 Course Outline