Linguistics 322

Spring 1999

Week 11

Exercise No. 9

Problem I:

Determine the argument structure for the following sentences, determine its surface structure, and explain each step: what motivates each step in the following example:

(1)     Who does Mary like?

NOTE: Explain each step. Many of you didn't on the last homework.

Starting with WH

WH: n/c

Pol: n/c

C: [+Strong] blocks lowering; this forces T to raise to be copied into C to satisfy the hosting properties of +Q.

S: n/c

T: features raised to C.

R: n/c

Asp: n/c

Vce: n/c

LIKE: n/c

NP, WH: raises to WH to satisfy hosting properties.

NP, MARY: raises to S to satisfy hosting properties.

Problem II

Determine the argument structure for:

(2)    What has Bill been doing?

Complete the derivation.

(Note: I can't make arrows in this program nor can I change the font of an individual character. Hence, 'w' stands for omega here.)

Problem III:

how are the following forms spelled out:

+WH, SOMEBODY, -Nom. as who or whom

+WH, SOMETHING, +Nom. as what

+WH, SOMEBODY, +Nom. as who.

Problem IV:

Determine the string derivation of:

WH Pol[+Neg] C[-Irreal] S[+PT] T[+Past] R[-Perf] Asp[-Prog] Vce[-Pass] <PAINT+[-Nom] [NP SOMETHING, WHT, WH\___, [ Nom]] [NP JOHN-[ Nom]]?

answer:

WH, [NP SOMETHING, WHT, WH\___, [ Nom]], what

Pol[+Neg], [NULL]

C[-Irreal], T[+Past] R[-Perf], {DO}, did+n't or did not (?)

S[+PT], JOHN[+Nom], John

T[+Past], [NULL]

R[-Perf], [NULL]

Asp[-Prog], [NULL]

Vce[-Pass] PAINT+[-Nom], paint

[NP SOMETHING, WHT, WH\___, [--Nom]], [NULL]

[NP JOHN-[+Nom]], [NULL]

 

You don't have to draw a tree for this; thus rearrange the forms and spell them out; example:

Pol[-Neg] C[-Irreal] S[+PT] T[-Past] R[-Perf] Asp[-Prog] Vce[+Pass] [V SEE, [-Nom] [NP THE MOLE+[PT]] [ Nom] [NP THE CAT [ Nom]]

-->

Pol[-Neg] C[-Irreal] S[+PT]+NP THE MOLE [+Nom] T[-Past] R[-Perf] Asp[-Prog] Vce[+Pass] [V SEE, [-Nom] [NP THE MOLE+[PT] [+Nom]] [P, [-Nom] {BY} ] [NP THE CAT [-Nom]>

 

Problem V:

This is another exercise on problem solving rather than testing what you already know. Determine the argument structure for the following in linear form:

Mary asked Bill if he is coming to class.

Cf. *Mary asked Bill is he coming to class. (No quotes)

You don't have to do a derivation here. Cite the lexical entry for the question operator to account for both matrix clauses and embedded clauses.

Pol[-Neg] C[-Irreal] S[+PT] T[+Past] R[-Perf] Asp[-Prog] Vce[-Pass] V-ASK [NP BILL+[ Nom]] [ Pol[-Neg] C[+Irreal, +Interr] S[+PT] T[-Past] R[-Perf] Asp[+Prog] Vce[-Pass] V-COME [PP to [NP CLASS, [ Nom]]]]

1.    The question operator, [+Q], is marked as [-Strong] and (no host) if the clause contains a WH-word in the external position (WH-subject) in matrix sentences,

2.    [+Strong], T\___ (otherwise in matrix sentences)

3.    [-Strong], (no host), spelled out as 'if' in embedded clauses.

Course Outline L322