Download 句法理論研究習題第三章

英研所一年級英語教學組
69312206 陳景鴻
句法理論研究習題第三章
英研所一年級英語教學組
69312206 陳景鴻
Exercise 3.1
Work out the subcategorization frame of each of the lexical item listed in 1~4. Make
sure you justify your proposals with relevant examples:
1. fond
2. declare
3. transport
4. within
Ans:
1. fond: [Adj;
___ N’
___ PP
]
Examples:
I am fond [NPof music].
The fond [NPfather] smiled with pleasure.
Notes:
A lexical item’s subcategorization frame should limit to its maximal projection. That
is, the subcategorization frame for “fond” should limit to AdjP. However, fond cannot
be used as attributively; it must be followed by a PP or NP. However, the following
NP does not belong to AdjP. And this pose a problem for writing subcategorization
frame for “fond”.
2. declare: [V;
___ S’
___NP
___PP
]
Example:
She declared [Sthat she does not like him].
America declared [NPa war with Germany].
We declared [PPfor their proposal].
3. transport: [V; NP (PP)]
Example: The organization refuses to transport [NPanimals][PPto America].
transport: [N; ___ ]
Example: The city must improve its public transport.
英研所一年級英語教學組
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4. within: [ P; ___ NP]
Example: He finished the work within [NPtwo days].
within: [ Adv; ___ ]
Example: She is pure within.
within: [N; ____]
Example: The farmers revolt from within.
within: [Adj; ____ NP]
Example: If you have any question, see the within [NPdocument].
(Examples are from Merriam-Webster 11th Collegiate Dictionary.)
Exercise 3.2
Using examples of your own, explain whether the derivationally related pairs of
items in 1~6 have similar or different subcategorization frame:
1. derive/ derivation
2. believe/ belief
3. export/ export
4. fond/ fondness
5. eager/ eagerness
Ans.
1.
(1) derive: [V; ___ NP
]
___ PP
Example:
We should try to derive [NPthe meaning of the word] from contexts.
This English word derives [PPfrom French].
(2) derivation: [N;
___ PP
___
]
Example:
The derivation [PPof the word] is unclear.
The word is of old French derivation.
2.
(1) believe: [V;
___ NP
___S’
]
Example:
I don’t believe [your words].
They believe [S’that God will save us].
英研所一年級英語教學組
69312206 陳景鴻
(2) belief: [N;
___PP
___ S’
]
Example:
Their belief [PPin God] is firm.
The belief [S’that the earth is round] is true.
3.
(1) export: [V;
___ NP
___ PP
]
Example:
We export [NPrice] but import wheat.
Our factory exports [PPto Europe].
(2) export: [N; ___ ]
Example:
Rice is our primary export.
4.
(1) fond: [ Adj;
___ N’
___ NP
]
Example:
I am fond [NPof music].
The fond [NPfather] smiled with pleasure.
(2) fondness: [N; ___ PP]
Example:
I have no fondness [PPfor syntax].
5.
(1) eager: [Adj; ___ ]
Example: Who is the most eager?
(2) eagerness: [N; ___ PP ]
___ S’
Example:
She showed great eagerness [PPfor success].
She showed great eagerness [S’to win the prize].
英研所一年級英語教學組
69312206 陳景鴻
Exercise 3.3
The verbs believe and wonder are similar in that they both subcategorize for a
clausal complement S’(as shown in 1 and 2). However, each of the two verbs seems
to be particular about the type of clause it takes as complement, as shown in 3 and 4.
Suggest a formal way of encoding this particular property in the subcategorization
frame of each verb such that the sentences 3 and 4 are excluded.
1. Bill believes that John left early.
2. Bill wonders if John left early.
3. *Bill believes if John left early.
4. *Bill wonders that John left early.
Ans.
From following two sentences, the distinction between the subcategorization
requirement between believe and wonder become more salient.
5. *Bill believes which problem John has solved.
6. Bill wonders which problem John has solved.
Then, there are differences in subcategorization of two verbs. The word “believe”
subcategorizes for a declarative clause, not an interrogative sentence. On the contrary,
the word “wonder” subcategorizes for an interrogative clause, not a declarative
sentence. The subcategorization properties of the two verbs can be encoded in terms
of the feature [+/- Q(uestion)].Thus, “believe” subcategorizes a clause marked as [-Q]
and “wonder” subcategorizes a clause marked as [+Q]. And the declarative clause
could be marked with the feature [-Q]; the interrogative sentence, [+Q].
Now look back sentences 1~4, “believe” can use that-clause as a complement, but
“wonder” use if-clause clause as a complement. It is suggested that, that-clause, like
the declarative clause, is marked with the feature [-Q], since that-clause and the
declarative clause could occupy the same position in the sentence. Likewise, if-clause
is marked with [+Q].
And the subcategorization of “believe” and “wonder” can be shown in the following:
believe: [___ S’]
[-Q]
wonder: [___ S’]
[+Q]
Other verbs subcategorize a clause marked as [-Q] are assert, claim, and insist. Other
verbs subcategorize a clause marked as [+Q] are ask, question, and inquire. Verbs
subcategorize a clause marked as [-Q] or [+Q] are know, speculate, and doubt.
英研所一年級英語教學組
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Notes: Wonder can be followed by a [-Q] that-clause, when “wonder” means “feel
surprised” For example: We wonder that the little boy is a university student. (我們很
驚奇這小男孩是大學生)
Exercise 3.4
Explain if examples 1 and 2, compared to 3 and 4, pose a problem for the claim that
violation of the subcategorization requirements of lexical items gives rise to
ungrammaticality.
1. This problem, I can solve.
2. I can sole *(this problem).
3. I wonder which city he comes from.
4. He comes from *(London).
Ans:
The subcategorization frame of “solve” and “from” are listed in the below:
solve: [V; ___ NP]
from: [P; ___ NP]
Both “solve” and “from” subcategorize for NP-complement. However, sentence1 and
3 seem to violate subcategorization requirement of “solve” and “from”. However,
both sentence1 and 3 are grammatically. By a further look, “this problem” in sentence
1 and “which city” in sentence 2 serve as the objects or NP-complements of “solve”
and “from” in interpreting sentences 1 and 3. Thus, it is hypothesized that “this
problem” in sentence 1 followed “solve” and “which city” in sentence 2 followed
“from” in deep-structure. Then through an application of transformational rule, “this
problem” and “which city” are moved out of their original position. Thus, sentences 1
and 3 are grammatical since there s no violation of subcategorization requirement of
“solve” and “from”, both of which receive their complements in their deep-structure.
Exercise 3.5
Assign a tree structure to each of the complex categories listed in 1~5. Make sure
that you justify your proposals:
1. musical
2. establishment
3. modernization
4. interpretations
5. colonized (as a past tense verb)
英研所一年級英語教學組
69312206 陳景鴻
Ans:
1.
Adj
2.
N
Adj
Music
cal
N
V
establish
3.
N
V
Adj
modern
V
N
ize
ation
4.
N
N
V
N
N
ment
英研所一年級英語教學組
69312206 陳景鴻
interpret
ation
s- [+plural]
5.
V
V
N
colony
V
ize
-ed [+past]
Notes:
1. “Musical” is an adjective, and “music” is a noun. The derivational morpheme “al”
adds to the base, “music”, and results in a derivation of an adjective. Thus, the
morpheme “al” is specified for category information, which is specified as Adj.
And the category of the derived complex is the same as the category of the suffix.
Therefore, the morpheme “al” is viewed as the head of the complex category,
since it determines the category of the derived complex. This case also justifies
the Righthand Head Rule.
2. “Establish” is a verb, and “establishment” is a noun. The derivational morpheme
“ment” adds to the base, “establish”, and results in a derivation of a noun. Thus,
the morpheme “ment” is specified for category information, which is specified as
N. And the category of the derived complex is the same as the category of the
suffix. Therefore, the morpheme “ment” is viewed as the head of the complex
category, since it determines the category of the derived complex. This case also
justifies the Righthand Head Rule.
3. “Modern” is an adjective, and “modernization” is a noun. The derivational
morpheme “ize” adds to the base, “modern”, and results in a derivation of a verb,
“modernize”. And then the derivational morpheme “ation” adds to the base,
“modernize”, and results in a derivation of a noun, “modernization”. Thus, the
morphemes “ize” and “ation” are specified for category information, which are
specified as V and N, respectively. And the category of the derived complex is the
英研所一年級英語教學組
69312206 陳景鴻
same as the category of the suffix: “ize” and “modernize”; “ation” and
“modernization”. For “modernization”, the morpheme “ation” is viewed as the
head of the complex category, since it determines the category of the derived
complex. This case justifies the Righthand Head Rule.
4. “Interpret” is a verb, and “interpretations” is a noun. The derivational morpheme
“ation” adds to the base, “interpret”, and results in a derivation of a noun. Thus,
the morpheme “ation” is specified for category information, which is specified as
N. And the category of the derived complex is the same as the category of the
suffix. Therefore, the morpheme “ation” is viewed as the head of the complex
category, since it determines the category of the derived complex. This case
justifies the Righthand Head Rule. For the inflectional morpheme “s”, its number
feature is plural and leads to the plural character of the noun, interpretations. And
from this case, the inflectional morpheme is subject to Righthand Head Rule.
5. “Colony” is a noun, and “colonized” is a verb. The derivational morpheme “ize”
adds to the base, “colony”, and results in a derivation of a verb. Thus, the
morpheme “ize” is specified for category information, which is specified as V.
And the category of the derived complex is the same as the category of the suffix.
Therefore, the morpheme “ize” is viewed as the head of the complex category,
since it determines the category of the derived complex. This case justifies the
Righthand Head Rule. For the inflectional morpheme “ed”, its tense feature is
[+past] and leads to the past tense property of the verb, “colonized”. And from this
case, the inflectional morpheme is subject to Righthand Head Rule.
Exercise 3.6
Think of possible arguments to decide between the two structures for the complex
category unhappiness shown in 1 and 2.
英研所一年級英語教學組
69312206 陳景鴻
1.
2.
N
N
A
Aff
Aff
N
A
A
N
happy
ness
N
un
happy
ness
un
Structure 1 is better than structure 2. In structure 1, the prefix first combines with the
adjective “happy” to form “unhappy”; then unhappy combines with the suffix “ness”
to form the word “unhappiness”. There is no problem with structure 1. The prefix
“un-“ can combine with an adjective to form an adjective with opposite meanings to
the original one. Examples of this are unconscious, and unlucky. And adjectives can
also combine with suffixes to form nouns, such as sadness and quickness.
On the contrary, in the structure 2, the adjective “happy” first combines with “ness”
and then the noun “happiness” combines with the prefix “un”. There is a problem
with structure 2. The prefix “un-“ does not combine with a noun to form another noun
with the opposite meaning to the original one, such as *unpolicy, and *unoffice.
Exercise 3.7
The list in 1~5 includes compounds, which are complex categories formed with
independent (i.e. non-affixal) lexical items. For example, the compound verb
dryclean is made up of the adjective dry and the verb clean and has the structure
[V[A dry] [V clean]. Assign a tree structures to each of the compounds in 1~5. Try
to justify your proposals with arguments:
1. crybaby
2. bankroll
3. overestimate
4. steamboat
5. bluebottle
Ans:
英研所一年級英語教學組
69312206 陳景鴻
1.
2.
N
N
V
N
cry
baby
3.
V
N
bank
roll
4.
P
V
over
N
estimate
N
N
N
steam
boat
5.
N
A
blue
N
bottle
Notes: That these compounds are composed of two lexical items can be justified by
finding relationship between compounds and their components. Thus, a crybaby is a
person who cries, a steamboat is a boat driven by steam, bankroll means supplies of
money (In slang, roll refers to paper money folded), overestimate means estimating
英研所一年級英語教學組
69312206 陳景鴻
something too highly, and a bluebottle is blowflies that have bodies iridescent with
blue in color.