Subject: English Syntax

Lecturer: Dr. Dra. Ni Luh Ketut Mas Indrawati, M.A

Member of the group:
 Ida Ayu Putri Laksmi Sharma Kuramas (1901541200)
 Ida Ayu Dinita Dinda Dwija (1901541202)

Exercises 1-3 on Van Valin’s Book

1. Write a phrase-structure grammar, using the format in (5.13), for the following
Cantonese data (Matthews and Yip 1994). Treat classifiers (glossed ‘CL’) as a type of
modifier under N′. Treat ge (glossed ‘LNK’) as a kind of specifier in the AdjP; a degree
modifier would be a sister to the highest A′. Don’t represent the aspect endings on the
verbs in your rules. Draw tree structures for (3), (5) and (10). [section 5.1]
1) Ngohdeih yám-jó hóu dd bei chàh.
1pl drink-prfv very many cl tea
‘We drank many cups of tea.’

Answer:
S → NP + VP
We drank many cups of tea → We + drank

2) Kéuih sihk-jó leuhng wún faahn.

3sg eat-prfv two cl rice
‘She ate two bowls of rice.’

Answer:
S → NP + VP
She ate two bowls of rice → She + ate
3) Gó go léuihyán sung-jó nc saam fan hóu leng ge láihmaht béi ngóh.
that cl woman send-prfv this three cl very nice lnk gift to 1sg
‘That woman sent these three very nice gifts to me.’
Answer:
NP → (DET) + N′
 That woman sent these three very nice gifts to me → (that) +
woman
Tree Structure:

4) Ngóh sung-jó leuhng fan láihmaht béi gó go léuihyán.

1sg send-prfv two cl gift to that cl woman
‘I sent two gifts to that woman.’

Answer:
S → NP + VP
I sent two gifts to that woman → I + sent

5) Gó go nàahmyán hái nc gàan yc)n jouhsih.

that cl man at this cl hospital work
 ‘That man works at this hospital.’
Answer:
NP → (DET) + N′
That man works at this hospital → (that) + man
Tree Structure:

6) Nc go léuihyán hái Ycnggwok yáuh pàhngyáuh.

this cl woman at England has friend
‘This woman has friends in England.’
Answer:
NP → (DET) + N′
This woman has friends in England → (This) + woman

7) Ngóh gwa gó leuhng fek san ge wá hái godouh.

1sg hang that two cl new lnk picture at there
‘I’m hanging those two new pictures there.’
Answer:
VP → (AUX) + V′
I’m hanging those two new pictures there → (am) + hanging
8) Kéuih hái jáudim chbutbihn dáng ngóh.
3sg at hotel outside wait 1sg
‘She awaits me outside the hotel.’

Answer:
S → NP + VP
She awaits me outside the hotel → she + awaits

9) Ngóh waih léih cheung séu gd.

1sg for 2sg sing cl song
‘I’ll sing a song for you.’
Answer:
VP → (AUX) + V′
I’ll sing a song for you → (will) + sing

10) Kéuih hái chyùhfóng fong-jó dd dc yéh hái tói seuhngmihn.

3sg in kitchen put-prfv many cl thing at table top
‘She put many things on the table in the kitchen.’

Answer:
S → NP + VP
She put many things on the table in the kitchen → She + put
Tree Structure:
2. Reformulate the grammar developed in exercise 1 in the ID/LP format. [section 5.1]
1. We drank many cups of tea
S → NP +VP
NP → N’
VP → V’ + QP
QP → DEG + Q’
Q’ → Q + PP

2. She ate two bowls of rice

S → NP + VP
NP → N’
VP → V’ + QP
QP → DEG + Q’
Q’ → Q + PP

3. That woman sent these three very nice gifts to me

NP → (DET) + N’
N’ → N’ + PP
N’ → AdjP + N’
N’ → V + N’
N’ → (DET) + N’
N’ → QP + N’
N’ → AdjP + N

4. I sent two gifts to that woman

S → NP + VP
NP → N’
N’ → N’ + V
N’ → QP + N’
N’ → PP + N
5. That man works at this hospital
NP → (DET) + N’
N’ → N’ + N
N’ → AdjP + N’
N’ → V + N’
N’ → PP + N

6. This woman has friends in England

NP → (DET) + N’
N’ → N’ + V
N’ → NP + PP

7. I’m hanging those two new pictures there

VP → (AUX) + V’
V′ → V′ + PP
V′ → V + NP + S’

8. She awaits me outside the hotel

S → NP + VP
NP → N’ + V
N’ → N’ + PP
N’ → PP + N

9. I’ll sing a song for you

VP → (AUX) + V’
V′ → V′ + (AUX)
V′ → NP + PP

10. She put many things on the table in the kitchen

S’ → NP + VP
 NP → N’ + N
VP → V’ + V + S’
3. Write a phrase-structure grammar, using the format in (5.13), for the following
Malagasy data (Keenan 1976a). Formulate partial lexical entries for the verbs, giving
the syntactic subcategorization frame only for each verb. Draw tree diagrams for (3) and
(5). [section 5.2]
1) Manasa ny lamba amin-ny savony ny vehivavy.
washes the clothes with-the soap the woman
‘The woman washes the clothes with the soap.’
Answer:

S → NP + VP
NP → (Det) + N’
VP → V + NP
NP → (Det) + N’
N’ → N’ + PP
PP → P + NP
NP → (Det) + N

2) Nahita ny vehivavy (izay) manasa ny lamba amin-ny savony Rasoa.

saw the woman (comp) washes the clothes with-the soap
‘Rasoa saw the woman who is washing the clothes.’
Answer:

S → NP + VP
NP → N + V + NP’
NP’ → (Det) + N’
VP → Verb + NP
Verb → Aux + V
NP → V + NP
NP → (Det) + N’
 3) Nahita Rasoa ny vehivavy (izay) manasa ny lamba amin-ny savony.
saw the woman (comp) washes the clothes with the soap
‘The woman who is washing the clothes with the soap saw Rasoa.’
Answer:

S → NP + VP
NP → (Det) + N’
VP → Verb + NP + PP + V + NP’
Verb → Aux + V
NP → (Det) + N’
PP → P + NP
NP → (Det) + N’Tree diagrams
S
NP VP
PP V
D N V NP P NP
AUX V D N D N NP
The woman who is washing the clothes with the soap saw Rasoa

4) Toa manasa lamba Rasoa.

seem wash clothes
‘Rasoa seems to be washing clothes.’
Answer:

S → NP + VP
NP →N
VP → Verb + NP
Verb → Aux + V
NP →N

5) Nanantena ny vehivavy ho nanasa ny zaza Rasoa.

 hoped the woman comp washed the child
‘Rasoa hoped the woman to have washed the child.’
Answer:

S → NP + VP
NP → N + V + NP’
NP’ → (Det) + N’
VP → Verb + NP
Verb → Aux + V
NP → (Det) + N’
S
NP VP NP VP
V NP
N V D N AUX V D N

Rasoa hoped the woman to be washed the child

6) Mikasa hanasa ny zaza ny vehivavy.

intends wash the child the woman
‘The woman intends to wash the child.’
Answer:

S → NP + VP
NP → (Det) + N’
VP → V + PP
PP →P+N
NP → (Det) + N’