Linguistics 322

Exercises

Week 6

Exercise 6:

• Open up Grammar 6a.

Generate the following verb (voice, aspect, and relevance) phrases:

 

1. eating a banana
2. seen the sky
3. reading these eight books
4. being visited some friends
5. been visiting some friends (this one is a perfect; this is optional--you don't have to be brave to try it.)

These verbal forms and their arguments occur in the following sentences:

1. John is eating a banana.
2. The sky is seen everyday.
3. They are reading these eight books.
4. Some friends are being visited.
5. They have been visiting some friends.

Note that the grammar will only generate the above phrases which are intermediate. It will not generate a complete sentence until we cover some more rules. the form *"visiten" is the only form G5a can generate until we get a lexicon. The lexicon covers irregular allomorphs. Once established, it will be able to generate "visited".

 

• Draw a tree diagram showing the derivation of "being shaved one dog" (only one dog is being shaved) indicating agreement, filling NIL features. Be sure to include any links that may occur. Draw or indicate each step indicating which rule has been applied.

Open up two files and read them:

• Verbal operator: tense, aspect, and voice.
  • This covers the dummy verbs in Tense, Relevance, and Aspect, and Voice. Tense and relevance are introduced though we won't cover them this week.

This page updated 17 OC 99.