syntax

syntax

1. week 1

   • heads and phrases
     • each word is the head of a phrase
       • each head will have properties that determine the characteristics of the phrase
     • the head of the phrase is the first word
     • the head determines the type of phrase
     • phrases are head initial
   • syntactic structure
     • if it behaves as a unit it is a consituent
     • a constituent is a string of words that a speaker can manipulate as a single unit
   • constituency tests
     • substitution
       • replacing a unit with a single word of similar meaning
       • DP replaced by pronouns
       • NP replaced by one
       • VP replaced by do so
       • PP replaced with there
     • elipsis
       • where something is ommited from the sentence for ease of speech and as not to repeat yourself, we can tell what the phrase will be
       • e.g. yes, but the girl will
         • [put a picture of bill on the desk] is a VP as it starts with a V

2. tree drawing and clauses

   • tree drawing
     • how to draw a tree
       • find
       • draw
     • constituents are hierarchical
   • what type of phrase is a sentence
     • the highest lexical item in a clause is a tense head
     • a sense phrase is TP
   • introducing TP
     • types of T heads
       • present tense
       • past tense
       • modal verbs
       • infinitive- to do something
     • finite v nonfinite T
       • finite T heads always appear with a nominative subject
       • non-finite t heads do not require a subject
       • because the type of subject co-varies with the T head, we say that for the subject in addition to the comolement, and we include the TP
     • the tense phrase can be a full sentence
     • the T head tells us when the sentence is occuring
     • the T selects for a phrasal complement
     • the T also selects for the head of the sentence
     • TP= DP T VP

3. selection

   • rules
     • rules for adjuncts
       • XP XP YP
       • if the sane category is repeated
       • VP= (AdvP) VP (AdvP
       • VP= VP (PP)
       • NP= (AP)NP
       • NP=NP(PP)
     • complements
       • XP X YP
     • TP= DP V VP
     • VP= V DP
     • PP= P DP
     • DP= D NP
     • NP= N (PP)
   • prepositions
     • c selects for a DP
   • determiners
     • d heads select for NPs as their comoplement
     • A selects for an NP [-plural]
     • these selects for a plural NP [+plural]
     • the selects for an NP
   • nouns
     • in some cases nouns select for complements
     • a complement is needed wereas an adjunct is not
   • verbs
     • lexical
       • describe an event
       • can be distinguished based on how many participants the event has
       • intransitive
         • one participant
       • transitive
         • 2 participant
       • ditransitive
         • 3 participants
     • auxiliary
       • perform a grammatical function
       • perfective have
         • have danced
       • progressive have
         • be dancing
       • have c selects a VP [perf]
       • be c selects a VP [prog]
       • because aux verbs c select for VPs, the tree has multiple layers of VPs
     • characteristics of the VP will be determined by the V head
     • there are teo categories of verbs
   • tense lexical entries
     • only some T heads select for a subject
     • will c selects VP, selects DP
     • to c selects VP