Handout4 - 2015

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Syntax Handout 4

PHRASAL VERBS VS. NON-PHRASAL (PREPOSITIONAL) VERBS Drunks will get off the bus. Drunks will put off the customers. I. SIMILARITIES & DIFFERENCES NP: drunks VP: get off the bus/ put off the customers PP: off the bus/ *off the customers II. NON-PHRASAL (PREPOSITIONAL) & PHRASAL VERBS (a) (b) (c) (d)

Assume that get off is a prepositional (non-phrasal) verb and put off is a phrasal verb. Draw relevant tree diagrams. Decide whether the sentences in each set are well-formed or ill-formed. Name the syntactic processes (constituency tests) illustrated by (1)-(5), and explain how each of them works. Which examples in (1)-(5) can / can’t you use to substantiate the assumption in (a)? Explain why.

(Hint! Look for contrast pairs!) 1. ................................... (a) Off the bus drunks will certainly get (though junkies will stay aboard). (b) Get off the bus drunks certainly will! (c) Put off the customers drunks certainly will! (d) Off the customers drunks will certainly put. 2. ..................................... (a) Who will get off the train? Drunks. (b) Will drunks get off the train? No, off the bus. (c) Will drunks put off the waiters? No, off the customers. (d) Who will drunks put off? The customers, of course. 3. .................................... (a) Drunks will get slowly off the bus. (b) Drunks will get off slowly the bus. (c) Drunks will put off completely the customers. (d) Drunks will put completely off the customers. 4. .................................... (a) Drunks will get off the bus and on the train. (b) Drunks will get off the bus and get on the train (c) Drunks will put off the customers and the waiters. (d) Drunks will put off the customers and off the waiters. 5. ..................................... (a) Drunks will get off – and junkies will get on – the bus. (b) Drunks will get – and junkies will fall – off the bus. (c) Drunks will – though junkies won’t – put off the customers. (d) Drunks will put – and junkies will also put – off the customers. _________________________________________________________________________

Syntax Handout 4

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6. Gapping Drunks will get off the bus, and junkies ____ off the train. *Drunks will put off the customers, and junkies ____ off the waiters. 7. Pronominalisation / Distribution of pronominal objects Drunks will get off the bus. • the bus = ‘it’ ÖDrunks will get off it. Ö *Drunks will get it off. Drunks will put off the customers. • the customers = ‘them’ Ö*Drunks will put off them. Ö Drunks will put them off. 7a.The status of a preposition in phrasal verbs. Drunks will put off the customers. Drunks will put the customers off. *Drunks will put right off the customers. Drunks will put the customers right off. *Drunks will put off their meal the customers. Drunks will put the customers off their meal. III. STRICT ADJACENCY PRINCIPLE They gave some flowers to his mother. *They gave to his mother some flowers

Mary put a case on the desk. *Mary put on the desk a case. *Drunks will put off willingly the customers.

Exercise 1 Ö Consider the status of up with in the sentence below (1): 1.

Your mother won’t put up with your disgusting behaviour.

(a) Is put up with one phrasal verb? (b) Is put up a phrasal verb followed by the prepositional phrase with your disgusting behaviour? (c) Or is perhaps put a prepositional verb followed by the complex prepositional phrase up with your disgusting behaviour? Consider possibilities (a)-(c) in turn, providing three structural arguments to support or reject each of them. Exercise 2 Ö Consider the sentence in (1) and concentrate on the underlined sequence. (1) The lorry will travel away from York. Assume that the verb travel is followed by the complex prepositional phrase away from York. Which example(s) in (2) can you use to substantiate the above assumption? For each example state clearly whether you choose or reject it, and why. (2a) The lorry will travel away from York and towards Hull. (2b) A: Which city will the lorry travel away from? B: York, I think. (2c) He says that the lorry will travel away from York, but travel away from York, it never will! (2d) The lorry will travel away from York and from Hull. (2e) The lorry will travel, though it can’t stay, away from York. (N.B.: Assume the data in (2) to be grammatical)