Handout6 2015

1

INTERMEDIATE NOMINAL CATEGORIES I. Nominal Complements & Adjuncts •

the status of PP a student of physics a student with long hair

• Semantic difference: 1. Complements: He is a student of physics. = He is studying physics. 2. Adjuncts: He is a student with long hair ≠ He is studying long hair. Structural difference: ....................... are sisters of N’ and daughters of N’’ ....................... are both sisters and daughters of N’ ....................... are sisters of N and daughters of N’ Determiner Rule: N’’→ D N’ Adjunct Rule: N’→ N’ PP Complement Rule: N’→ N PP II. Optionality of the noun phrase constituents the students of physics with long hair •

Optionality of Determiners students of physics with long hair NP ??? N’ ??? 1. sentence-fragments 2. ordinary co-ordination 3. pronominalisation (they/them) N’’→ (D) N’

•

Optionality of Adjuncts students of physics N’→ N’ (PP) = N’→ N’ vacuous recursion (N’→ N’ PP) =optional

•

Optionality of Complements students N’ → N (PP)

III. The structural distinction between Complements and Adjuncts 1. N’ - SEMANTIC PROPERTY John is a student of physics. John is a student of physics with long hair. John is a student with long hair. John is a student of high morals 2. STACKING - stacking of Adjuncts (Adjunct Rule is recursive) the student with long hair with short arms in blue jeans - stacking of Complements (Complement Rule is not recursive) *the student of physics of chemistry of biology the road from London to Lincoln the journey from Paris to Rome 3. ORDERING

Syntax Handout 6

Syntax Handout 6

2

- ordering of Adjuncts the student with long hair with short arms in blue jeans the student with short arms with long hair in blue jeans the student in blue jeans with short arms with long hair - ordering of Complements the journey from London to Lincoln the translation from Latin into English ?the journey to Lincoln from London ?the translation into English from Latin - ordering of Complements and Adjuncts the student of physics with long hair *the student with long hair of physics 4. PRO-N-BAR “ONE” SUBSTITUTION the student of physics with long hair with short arms Which student............................................................... do you mean? This one or that one? Which student.................................do you mean? The one with long hair with short arms? Which student.......................................................do you mean? The one with short arms? Which student do you mean? *The one of physics with long hair with short arms? 5. ORDINARY CO-ORDINATION - Ordinary Co-ordination of Adjuncts a student with long hair and with short arms - Ordinary Co-ordination of Complements a student of physics and of chemistry - Ordinary Co-ordination of Adjuncts and Complements *a student of physics and with long hair *a student with short arms and of physics 6. CO-OCCURENCE RESTRICTIONS - Adjuncts a student with long hair a boy with long hair - Complements a student of physics *a boy of physics

a drunkard with long hair a specialist with long hair *a drunkard of physics *a specialist of physics

IV. Complex nominal phrases (1) a book on grammar of English (2) the pleasure of the journey from Paris to Rome (3) a pamphlet on places of interest with a picture on the cover - ambiguity: (4) the children on the bus behind the fence (5) a woman with rude children with ginger hair Exercise: Draw detailed tree diagrams for these phrases. Note that some of these phrases will have more than one interpretation. 1. their arrival in Cairo at night 2. his motivation for the enquiry into the matter 3. the road to Lincoln by the stream beyond the church 4. the road to Lincoln by the stream and beyond the church 5. the picture of the girl on the wall in my room 6. the picture of the girl and her sister in my room