Linguistics
322
Fall
1998
Answer
Key
Exercise No. 8
Exercise I:
Determine the logical form for the following
sentence, determine its surface structure, and explain each step:
what motivates each step in the third example:
- Kelly didn't see the train.
- Michael has not been singing for an hour.
- The dishes were not being washed.
Establish government links
All NPs must be marked for Case (except
for PRO): assign accusative Case to TRAIN.
All NPs must be marked for Case (except
for PRO): move agent to subject NP position.
Assign nominative Case to the dishes.
[+Pass] needs a verbal host: copy the
features of voice to the verb wash.
Default rule for verbs: verbs split into
verb stem and inflectional ending.
[+Prog] needs a verbal host: features
cannot be copied to verb since position for inflectional endings
is filled: insert the dummy verb {BE}.
Default rule for verbs: verbs split into
verb stem and inflectional ending.
[+Tense] needs a verbal host: features
cannot be copied to verb since position for inflectional endings
is filled: insert the dummy verb {BE}.
Default rule for verbs: verbs split into
verb stem and inflectional ending.
First governed verb must agree with subject
NP: Features of subject NP are copied to verb.
Spell out.
Exercise II:
What is wrong with the following sentences?:
- *John has been not eating a potato.
- Neg copied to incorrect host (R instead
of T). Should be John has not been eating a potato.
- *Mary is had not singing a song for an
hour.
- Neg copied to incorrect host (R instead
of T), wrong dummy verb inserted to T (should be has), wrong
dummy verb inserted to R (should be {be}: Mary has not been singing
a song for an hour.
- *Be not written a letter by Gloria.
- IF Voice is [+Pass], then a letter
should have been raised and copied to the subject position: A
letter was not written by Gloria (don't forget agreement), or
if Voice is [-Pass], then Gloria should have be copied
upwards, and [-Pass] should be NULL: Gloria was was not writing
a letter.
Course
Outline L322
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