Linguistics 322

Fall 1998

Week 12

answer sheet

Exercise No. 11

Exercise I:

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

1. John is likely to buy a Lamborghini.

1. Mary turned out to be quite brilliant.

1. Harriet likes to write essays.

1. Jack is certain to be eager to fail syntax.

1. The dog seems to be sure to eat kibble.

Exercise II:

This is an exercise on problem solving rather than testing what you already know. What you do know will be a very useful aid in solving the problem.

1. Mary went to the store and Bill did too.
2. John saw a unicorn and so did Mary.
3. Henry has bought a book and Barry has too.
4. Sally is reading a book and so is Kelly.

You don't have to do a full derivation but how can you explain the the verb do in in the second clause of each of the above sentences and the lack of it in those clauses where it does not occur? Make use of the principles that we have discussed in class.

• First note that in the second clause, the main VP is omitted: go to the store, see a unicorn, buy a book, and read a book. Recall that [+Tense] needs a verbal host. But the verb is omitted as is part of the omitted VP. Since there is no V for the features of [+Tense] to be copied onto, the last resort strategy must be invoked: insert a dummy verb. The dummy verb is do. In the last two sentences, the dummy verbs have and be are inserted.

Exercise III:

Are the following predicates raising or control predicates:

1. Bill is apt to go. raising
2. Bill is sure to go. raising
3. Bill is certain to go. raising
4. Bill seems to go. raising
5. Bill tried to go. control
6. Bill persuaded Mary to go. control
7. Bill is sure that he is going. (neither)
8. Bill is certain that he is going. (neither)
9. Bill is determined to go. control
10. Bill seems to be permitted to go. raising, control

• 'apt' is a raising adjective because Bill does not receive its theta role from apt but from go.
• 'sure' is a raising adjective because Bill does not receive its theta role from sure but from go.
• 'certain' is a raising adjective because Bill does not receive its theta role from certain but from go.
• 'seems' is a raising verb because Bill does not receive its theta role from seems but from go.
• 'try' is a control verb because Bill does not receive its theta role from go but from try. GO assigns agent to PRO.
• 'sure' is neither a control verb--there is no PRO in the embedded sentence-- nor is it a raising verb,Bill does not receive its theta role from go , but from sure. GO assigns agent to he.
• 'certain' is neither a control verb--there is no PRO in the embedded sentence-- nor is it a raising verb,Bill does not receive its theta role from go , but from certain. GO assigns agent to he..
• 'determined' is a control verb because Bill does not receive its theta role from go but from determined. GO assigns agent to PRO.
  • 'seems' is a raising verb because Bill does not receive its theta role from seems but from permitted. The theta role of Bill is goal.
  • 'permitted' is a control verb because the subject of the infinitive permitted PRO does not receive its theta role from go but from permitted. GO assigns agent to PRO.

  John seems [[TRACE] to be permitted [ PRO to go ]].

Course Outline L322