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Administration of Postgraduates Studies and Training University of Zawia Department of English - Applied Linguistics

This document contains an assignment on syntax for a class on applied linguistics. The assignment contains 5 questions analyzing parts of speech, constituents, verb complementation, and structural ambiguities. Students are asked to identify constituents in sentences using tests, list verb-particle combinations, explain why sentences are ungrammatical based on verb complementation, provide examples of ditransitive verbs, and analyze structural ambiguities using constituent structure.

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112 views

Administration of Postgraduates Studies and Training University of Zawia Department of English - Applied Linguistics

This document contains an assignment on syntax for a class on applied linguistics. The assignment contains 5 questions analyzing parts of speech, constituents, verb complementation, and structural ambiguities. Students are asked to identify constituents in sentences using tests, list verb-particle combinations, explain why sentences are ungrammatical based on verb complementation, provide examples of ditransitive verbs, and analyze structural ambiguities using constituent structure.

Uploaded by

IceMaster Minato
Copyright
© © All Rights Reserved
Available Formats
Download as DOCX, PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd
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Administration of Postgraduates Studies and Training

University of Zawia
Department of English – Applied Linguistics

Syntax Assignment

By:

Asia Muhammad Al-Triki

Submitted to:
Dr. Bashir Ahmed

Academic Year: Autumn- 2021


1) Using one or more of the constituent tests (i.e., stand alone, move as a unit, replacement by a
pronoun) discussed in the chapter, determine which of the boldfaced portions in the sentences are
constituents (and which are not). Provide the grammatical category of the constituent.

a. Martha found a lovely pillow for the couch.

[a lovely pillow] is NP

The first kind of tests is (stand alone test) What did Martha find for the couch? [a lovely pillow].

The second kind of tests is (movement test) [A lovely pillow], Martha found for the couch.

b. The light in this room is terrible.

[Light in this room] is not constituent

It is (stand alone test) What is terrible? [light in this room].

c. I wonder whether Bonnie has finished packing her books.

[whether Bonnie has finished packing her books] is CP

(Stand alone test) what do you wonder? [whether Bonnie has finished packing her books]

(Movement test) [whether Bonnie has finished packing her books], I wonder.

d. Melissa slept in her class.

[in her class] is PP

(Stand alone test) where did Melissa sleep? [in her class]

e. Pete and Max are fighting over the bone.

[Pete and Max] is NP

(Stand alone test) who is fighting over the bone? [Pete and Max]

(Movement test) They are [Pete and Max] who are fighting over the bone.
f. I gave a bone to Pete and to Max yesterday.

[and to Max] is a constituent

(Stand alone test) I gave a bone to Pete yesterday [and to Max]

g. I gave a bone to Pete and to Max yesterday.

[Pete and] is not a constituent

(Stand alone test) Who did I give a bone to to Max yesterday? [Pete and].

2) The two sentences below contain a verbal particle up:

He ran up the bill.

He ran the bill up.

a. The verbal particle up and the verbal run depend on each other for the unique idiosyncratic
meaning of the phrasal verb run up. (Running up a bill involves neither running nor the location
up.) Does up the bill form a constituent? Give at least one argument that favors your answer.

To show that (up) forms a constituent with the verb in (run u the bill) there is nothing could
come between them. For example, an adverb like completely. This explains the contrast between
the grammatical and ungrammatical sentence; [he ran completely up the bill] run and up are not a
constituent. and the ungrammatical [* he ran completely up the bill]

b. List five other verb+ particle combination in English.

Give up, come over, pick up, fall down.

3) In terms of C-selection, explain why the following are ungrammatical:

a. *The man located.

Because the verb LOCATE is a transitive and it needs NO object.

b. *Jesus wept the apostles.

Because the verb WEEP is intransitive verb, it does not have an object.
c. *Robert is hopeful of his children.

Because the adjective HOPEFUL makes a sentential complement or no complement but it cannot
take a PP complement with of.

d. *Robert is fond that his children love animals.

Because the adjective FOND can make a PP complement with but cannot take an sentential
complement.

e. *The children laughed the man.

Because the verb LAUGH is intransitive verb and does not take a direct object.

4) The complement of V may be a single NP direct object as for find. English also has
DITRANSITIVE VERBS, ones whose complement may be two NPs, such as GIVE:

The emperor gave the vassal a castle.

Think of three other ditransitive verbs in English and give example sentences.

1. (Push) He pushed the ball to the boy.

2. (Kick) He kicked the boy the ball.

3. (Send) I sent my teacher an e-mail.

5) Here are two examples where structural ambiguities lead to humorous results.

1) For sale: an antique desk suitable for lady with thick legs and large drawers.

2) we will oil your sewing machine and adjust tension in your home for $ 10.00.

Using square brackets to delineate constitution, explained the ambiguity and the resulting humor
of these two sentences by doing a constituent analysis.

1/a [a desk] [for lady with thick legs and large drawers].

1/b [a desk for lady] [with thick legs and large drawers].
2/a [oil your sewing machine and adjust tension] [in your home] [for $10.00].

2/b [oil your sewing machine] and [adjust tension in your home] [for $10.00].

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