Practice Syntax Problems

Practice Syntax Problems

1. Tests for Constituency: In (a-e), the underlined string is a constituent. Find two independent tests that give evidence the underlined string really is a constituent, and construct one sentence illustrating each test. Follow the pattern given in the example.

Example: The police put the man with the gun in handcuffs.

Substitution Test: The police put him in handcuffs.

the man with the gun can be replaced by him (a single word, a pronoun, a constituent). Since the phrase can be replaced by a constituent it is a constituent .

Conjunction Test: The police put the man with the gun and Tom in handcuffs

Tom is a single morpheme (and therefore a constituent) and it can be conjoined to the man with the gun, so the man with a gun must be a constituent of the same kind as Tom.

1. One day that man will leave his family's money to a very trustworthy charity.

2. Substitution test: One day he will leave his family's money to a very trustworthy charity.

3. Since the man can be replaced by he (a single word, a pronoun, a constituent), it must be a constituent.

4. Conjunction test: One day the man and Mary will leave his family's money to a very trustworthy charity.

5. One day Mary and the man will leave his family's money to a very trustworthy charity.

6. Mary is a single morpheme (and therefore a constituent) and it can be conjoined to the man, therefore the man must be a constituent of the same kind as Mary.

7. Question test: One day who will leave his family's money to a very trustworthy charity? The man.

8. Since the man can stand alone in answer to a question (and be directly questioned), it must be constituent.

9. One day that man will leave his family's money to a very trustworthy charity.

10. Substitution test: One day the man will leave it to a very trustworthy charity.

11. Since his family's money can be replaced by it (a single word, a pronoun, a constituent), it must be a constituent.

12. Conjunction test: One day the man will leave treasure and his family's money to a very trustworthy charity.

13. One day the man will leave his family's money and treasure to a very trustworthy charity.

14. Treasure is a single morpheme (and therefore a constituent) and it can be conjoined to his family's money, therefore his family's money must be a constituent of the same kind as treasure.

15. Question test: One day what will the man leave to a very trustworthy charity? His family's money.

16. Since his family's money can stand alone in answer to a question (and be directly questioned), it must be constituent.

17. One day that man will leave his family's money to a very trustworthy charity.

18. Substitution test: One day the man will leave its money/their money to a very trustworthy charity.

19. Since his family's can be replaced by its or their (a single word, a pronoun, a constituent), it must be a constituent.

20. Question test: One day whose money will the man leave to a very trustworthy charity? His family's.

21. Since his family's money can stand alone in answer to a question (and be directly questioned), it must be constituent.

22. One day that man will leave his family's money to a very trustworthy charity .

23. Substitution test: One day the man will leave his family's money to it.

24. Since a very trustworthy charity can be replaced by it (a single word, a pronoun, a constituent), it must be a constituent.

25. Conjunction test: One day the man will leave his family's money to a very trustworthy charity and Betty.

26. One day the man will leave his family's money to Betty and a very trustworthy charity.

27. Betty is a single morpheme (and therefore a constituent) and it can be conjoined to a very trustworthy charity, therefore a very trustworthy charity must be a constituent of the same kind as Betty.

28. Question test: One day what will the man leave to a very trustworthy charity? His family's money.

29. Since his family's money can stand alone in answer to a question (and be directly questioned), it must be constituent.

30. One day that man will leave his family's money to a very trustworthy charity.

31. Substitution test: Then the man will leave his family's money to a very trustworthy charity.

32. Since one day can be replaced by then (a single word, a proform, a constituent), it must be a constituent.

    1. Movement test: That man, one day, will leave his family's money to a very trustworthy charity.

    2. That man will, one day, leave his family's money to a very trustworthy charity.

    3. That man will leave his family's money to a very trustworthy charity one day.

    4. One day can move as a unit so it must be constituent.

    5. Question test: When will the man leave his family's money to a very trustworthy charity? One day.

    6. Since one day can stand alone in answer to a question (and be directly questioned), it must be constituent

33. One day that man will leave his family's money to a very trustworthy charity.

34. Conjunction test: One day the man will leave his family's money to a reliable and very trustworthy charity.

35. One day the man will leave his family's money to a very trustworthy and reliable charity.

• 1. Reliable is a single morpheme (and therefore a constituent) and it can be conjoined to very trustworthy, therefore very trustworthy must be a constituent of the same kind as Betty.

2. The sentence The children attacked the man with the baseball bat is ambiguous because there are two different constituent structures (one for each meaning). Paraphrase each meaning unambiguously and show the different constituency associated with each meaning.

Meaning 1: The children used a baseball bat to attack the man.

[[The children] [attacked [the man] [with [the baseball bat]]]]

Meaning 2: The children attacked the man who had the baseball bat.

[[The children] [attacked [the man [with [the baseball bat]]]]]

Grammar 1:

c. The fishermen gave the fish to the foodbank.

d. Those men saw a bird through the binoculars.

4. Modify Grammar 1 to account for the data below. Modify first part of NP rule to NP ->(Det) (AdjP) N (PP)

a. A large group of children ran toward the trees.

b. Each student looked at the teacher's interesting book about bees.

c. The leader of the fishermen gave the fish to the foodbank.

d. Those men in the back of the bus saw a bird through the binoculars.

5. Using your modified grammar, draw a tree for The actor uttered the words of Hamlet's immortal soliloquy on the empty stage.