Sentence Picture Matching Task

In order to assess the comprehension of sentences with wh-movement, object pronouns and reflexive pronouns, we used a sentence-picture matching task, The verbs in these sentences were all transitive verbs, all the noun phrases (NPs) were animate, and the sentences were all semantically reversible. In each sentence the two NPs had the same gender and number, to factor out possible cues from verb agreement (as Hebrew verbs agree in gender, person, and number with the subject).

Each picture was presented two times throughout the test to match different sentences. The sentences in this test comprise of 16 object relative sentences with a resumptive pronoun, 16 object relative sentences without a resumptive pronoun, 10 simple sentences, 8 conjoined sentences with a direct object pronoun, 8 sentences with an embedded clause and a direct object pronoun, and 8 sentences with a reflexive pronoun.

Object RC with a RP

taree li et ha-yeled sh-ha-kof melatef oto

Show me ACC the-boy that-the-monkey pet.3^rd.m.sg him

Show me the boy that the monkey is petting.

Object RC without an RP

taree li et ha-yeled she-ha-kof melatef

Show me ACC the-boy that-the-monkey pet.3^rd.m.sg

Show me the boy that the monkey is petting.

Embedded clause sentences with a DOP

Ha-yeled mesaper she-ha-hipo menagev oto

The-boy say.3^rd.m.sg that-the-hipo dry.3^rd.m.sg him

The boy said that the hipo dried him.

Conjoined sentences with a DOP

Ha-pil ve-ha-cav nifgeshu ve-az ha-pil hika oto

The-elephant and-the-turtle met.3^rd.m.pl and-then the-elephant hit.3^rd.m.sg him

The elephant and the turtle met and then the elephant hit him.

Sentences with a reflexive pronoun

Ha-pil ve-ha-cav nifgeshu ve-az ha-pil hika et acmo

The-elephant and-the-turtle met.3^rd.m.pl and-then the-elephant hit.3^rd.m.sg ACC himself

The elephant and the turtle met and then the elephant hits himself.