seminar 4 (2)

Introduction to Generative Grammar Seminar 4: Structural relations & case assignment Date: January 17, 2014

Instructor: Adriana TodeaOffice hours: Friday 2-3 p.m. Alpha Centre room

I.Using the X-bar model draw the tree diagram of the following sentence:

Where did Maria meet Susan after the concert?

II. Describe the structural relations between the following sets of nodes in the tree diagram in the previous exercise. For each pair, try to find as many structural relations as possible.(a) V and NP ‘Susan’(b) V and PP ‘after the concert’(c) V and NP ‘the concert’(d) P and NP ‘the concert’(e) I and NP ‘Maria’(f) NP ‘Susan’ and PP ‘after the concert’

Temporal

Location

Patient

meet

V

NP

Maria

VP

I’

IP

D-structureCP

V’

V’

V’

where

AdvPP’

NP

the concert

P

after

AgentI

did

Susan

NP

PP

[+Past tense+Abstract agr. +EPP]

C

C’

[+interr]

Temporal

Location

Patient

meet

V

NP

Maria

VP

I’

IPC

C’

CP

V’

V’

V’

P’

NP

the concert

P

after

AgentI

did

Susan

NP

PP


where

AdvPk

tk

[+interr]

Location

Patient

meet

V

VP

I’

IPC

C’

CP

V’

V’

V’

P’

NP

the concert

P

after

AgentI

did

Susan

NP

PP

where

AdvPk

tk

NPi

Maria

ti

Temporal

[+interr]


Location

Patient

meet

V

VP

I’

IP

S-structure

C

C’

CP

V’

V’

V’

P’

NP

the concert

P

after

AgentI

Susan

NP

PP

didj

tj

NPi

Maria

ti

where

AdvPk

tk Temporal

[+interr]


Acc.

Patient

meet

V

VP

I’

IP

Structural relations

C

C’

CP

V’

V’

V’

P’

NP

the concert

P

after

I

Susan

NP

PP

didj

tj

NPi

Maria

ti

where

AdvPk

tk

V and NP ‘Susan’no dominance

V precedes NP ‘Susan’

V c-commands NPNP c-commands V

mutual c-command

V m-commands NPNP m-commands V

mutual m-command

V governs NP ’Susan’

[+interr]


meet

V

VP

I’

IP


C

C’

CP

V’

V’

V’

P’

NP

the concert

P

after

I

Susan

NP

PP

didj

tj

NPi

Maria

ti

where

AdvPk

tk

V and PP ‘after the concert’no dominance

V precedes PP

V does not c-command PPPP c-commands V

V m-commands PPPP m-commands V

mutual m-command

V governs PP

PP

[+interr]


meet

V

VP

I’

IP


C

C’

CP

V’

V’

V’

P’

NP

the concert

P

after

I

Susan

NP

PP

didj

tj

NPi

Maria

ti

where

AdvPk

tk

V and NP ‘the concert’no dominance

V precedes NP ‘the concert’

V does not c-command NPNP does not c-command V

V m-commands NPNP does not m-command V

V does not govern NP ’the concert’

[+interr]


Acc.

meet

V

VP

I’

IP


C

C’

CP

V’

V’

V’

P’

NP

the concert

P

after

I

Susan

NP

PP

didj

tj

NPi

Maria

ti

where

AdvPk

tk

P and NP ‘the concert’no dominance

P precedes NP ‘the concert’

P c-commands NPNP c-commands P

mutual c-command

P m-commands NPNP m-commands P

mutual m-command

P governs NP ’the concert’

Temporal

[+interr]


Nom.

meet

V

VP

I’

IP


C

C’

CP

V’

V’

V’

P’

NP

the concert

P

after

I

Susan

NP

PP

didj

tj

NPi

Maria

ti

where

AdvPk

tk

I and NP ‘Maria’no dominance

NP ‘Maria’ precedes I

I does not c-command NPNP c-commands I

I m-commands NPNP m-commands I

mutual m-command

I governs NP ’Maria’

[+interr]


NP

meet

V

VP

I’

IP


C

C’

CP

V’

V’

V’

P’

NP

the concert

P

after

I

Susan

PP

didj

tj

NPi

Maria

ti

where

AdvPk

tk

NP ‘Susan’ and PP ‘after the concert’no dominance

NP precedes PP

NP does not c-command PPPP c-commands NP

NP m-commands PPPP m-commands NP

mutual m-command

no government

PP

[+interr]


I.Using the X-bar model draw the tree diagram of the following sentence:

George expects Peter to sell his bicycle by the end of the month.

II. Describe the structural relations between the following sets of nodes in the tree diagram in the previous exercise. For each pair, try to find as many structural relations as possible.(a) V ‘expect’ and NP ‘Peter’(b) I ‘-s’ and NP ‘George’(c) N ‘end’ and PP ‘of the month’(d) V ‘sell’ and NP ‘the end of the month’(e) V ‘sell’ and NP ‘his bicycle’(f) NP ‘his bicycle’ and PP ‘by the end of the month’

Further practiceFurther practice

Consider the example below. How do the underlined NPs acquire case?

NP ‘…’ case (Nom, Acc, Gen)structural

inherent

under government assigned by ... (finite I, transV, P)

expression of theta-role...

ECM? If so, explain why.

NP ‘Ann’-- structural Nominative assigned by finite I ‘-s’ under gov.

NP ‘John’-- structural Accusative assigned by transitive V ‘want’ under gov.ECM: NP ‘John’ is the specifier of the non-finite (infinitival) IP. But the non-finite I

is a weak governor and fails to assign structural Nom. to its subject. Also, the maximalprojection of the weak governor, the non-finite IP, is not barrier to outside government. Therefore V ‘want’ governs and assigns str. Acc to the subject of the infinitival clause NP ‘John’.

1. Ann wants John to drive her friend’s car.

Consider the example below. How do the NPs acquire case?

NP ‘…’ case (Nom, Acc, Gen)structural

inherent

under government assigned by ... (finite I, V, P)

expression of theta-role...

ECM? If so, explain why.

1. Ann wants John to drive her friend’s car.

NP ‘her friend’s car’-- structural Acc. assigned by transitive V ‘drive’ under government.

NP ‘her friend’s’-- inherent Gen. expression of the theta-role “Possessor”.

2.Mary’s grandmother did send Julian an invitation to her party.

NP ‘Mary’s grandmother’-- structural Nom.assigned by finite I ‘did’ under gov.

NP ‘Mary’s’-- inherent Gen. expression of the theta-role “Possessor”.

NP ‘Julian’-- structural Acc. assigned by ditransitive V ‘send’ under gov.

NP ‘an invitation to her party’-- inherent Acc.expression of the theta-role “Theme”.

NP ‘her party’-- structural Acc. assigned by P ‘to’ under government.


3. The presentation of the mayor’s proposal impressed the people in the audience.

NP ‘the presentation of the mayor’s proposal’-- structural Nom.assigned by finite I ‘-ed’ under gov.

NP ‘the mayor’s proposal’-- inherent Acc.expression of the theta-role “Theme”.

NP ‘the mayor’s’-- inherent Gen.expression of the theta-role “Possessor”.

NP ‘the people in the audience’-- structural Acc. assigned by transitive V ‘impress’ under gov.

NP ‘the audience’-- structural Acc. assigned by P ‘in’ under gov.


4. The teacher was eager for her students to read the Dean’s speech.


NP ‘the teacher’-- structural Nom.assigned by finite I ‘was’ under gov.

NP ‘her students’-- structural Acc. assigned by prepositional complementizer ‘for’ under gov.

ECM: NP ‘her students’ is the specifier of the non-finite (infinitival) IP. But the non-finite I is a weak governor and fails to assign structural Nom. to its subject. Also, the maximalprojection of the weak governor, the non-finite IP, is not barrier to outside government. The closest outside governor is A ‘eager’, but adjectives are not case-assigners in English.Therefore, preposition ‘for’ is inserted in the available lower CP system under the complementizer node to govern and assign str. Acc to the subject of the infinitival clause NP ‘the students’.

NP ‘the Dean’s speech’-- structural Acc. assigned by transitive V ‘read’ under gov.

NP ‘the Dean’s’-- inherent Gen.expression of the theta-role “Possessor”.

Consider the example below. How do the NP acquire case?

5. For John to have behaved so is unbelievable.

NP ‘John’-- structural Acc. assigned by prepositional complementizer ‘for’ under gov.

ECM: NP ‘John’ is the specifier of the non-finite (infinitival) IP. But the non-finite I is a weak governor and fails to assign structural Nom. to its subject. Also, the maximalprojection of the weak governor, the non-finite IP, is not barrier to outside government. Preposition ‘for’ is inserted in the available lower CP system under the complementizernode to govern and assign str. Acc to the subject of the infinitival clause NP ‘John’.

Consider the examples below. How do the NPs acquire case?

6. Maria is fond of her husband’s family.

7. George expects Peter to sell his bicycle by the end of the month.

8. For an ex-president to support his wife in the election would be surprising.

Further practiceFurther practice

Documents

seminar 4 (2)