Syntax Practice

Syntax

Test the following bracketed parts of sentences for whether they are constituents. If not, explain why.

  1. I am a [Star Trek nerd].
  2. [Captain Picard is] [the best captain ever]. (Give a judgment for each.)
  3. Though [Captain Janeway] is [fantastic, too].
  4. [I don’t] really [like the original Star Trek, though].
  5. [Shocking], I know.

Go back through and for those that are constituents, give a description of what syntactic category they are.

 

Now apply the movement test to the following items to determine constituency. Are there any that are islands?

  1. Today is [a day to go vote].
  2. I wonder how [everything will ] turn out.
  3.  The two major parties are Democrats and [Republicans].
  4. It is a beautiful day [in the neighborhood].
  5. I went [to the polls] to vote.
  6. I wonder [what would Yoda think of the movement test].
  7. I wonder how [he would perceive it].
  8. He probably [would ace it].

 

Consider the following sentences and answer the questions that follow each:

My sister raises chickens.

  1. What is in the head of the IP (i.e. what is the I of this sentence)?
  2. What is the subject of the sentence? What type of a phrase is it? How does it attach to the main IP?
  3. What is the predicate (main verb) of the sentence? What type of phrase is it? How does it attach to the main IP?
  4. Identify the Determiner(s) in the sentence. How would the Determiner(s) in this sentence attach to the NPs ? (Specifier, Modifier, or Complement?)
  5. What is the relation between [chickens] and [raises], structurally speaking?
Katniss Everdeen might shoot the squirrel.
  1. What is in the head of the IP (i.e. what is the I of this sentence)?
  2. What is the subject of the sentence? What type of a phrase is it? How does it attach to the main IP?
  3. What is the predicate (main verb) of the sentence? What type of phrase is it? How does it attach to the main IP?
  4. Identify the Determiner(s) in the sentence. How would the Determiner(s) in this sentence attach to the NPs ? (Specifier, Modifier, or Complement?)
  5. What is the relation between [the squirrel] and [shoot], structurally speaking?
What do you see?
  1. What is the deep structure order of this sentence? (Hint: think about the full-sentence answer to this question and work from there)
  2. Where does [what] originate? (i.e. what is it’s structural position?)
  3. Where does [do] originate?
  4. What movements (i.e. transformations)  must happen to give us this question’s surface structure? What’s the names of these transformations? Where do the moving elements move to, structurally?
Who called the office?
  1. What is the deep structure order of this sentence? (Hint: think about the full-sentence answer to this question and work from there)
  2. Where does [who] originate? (i.e. what is it’s structural position?)
  3. Where does [calls] originate?
  4. What movements (i.e. transformations)  must happen to give us this question’s surface structure? What’s the names of these transformations? Where do the moving elements move to, structurally?