L2 Syntax Lecture 4: Noun phrases and X

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L2 Syntax Lecture 4Noun phrases and X theory

• Robert Truswell

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Today

• A recap on VPs and sentences
• Some more terminology for describing trees
• A closer look at NPs
• X theory

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Todays reading

• Carnie (2002), Ch.5 (pp.105-138)
• Copies available from the DSB ground floor
  resource room, WebCT, or the library

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Do so substitution

• I ate a chocolate bar on Tuesday and he did so
  too
• I ate a chocolate bar on Tuesday and he did so
  on Wednesday
• I ate a chocolate bar on Tuesday and he did so
  an ice cream on Wednesday
• ate a chocolate bar on Tuesday is a constituent
• ate a chocolate bar is a constituent
• a chocolate bar is a complement of ate

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Do so substitution

• I ate a chocolate bar on Tuesday and he did so
  too
• I ate a chocolate bar on Tuesday and he did so
  on Wednesday
• I ate a chocolate bar on Tuesday and he did so
  an ice cream on Wednesday
• Do so substitutes for a V.
• Complements obligatorily included, adjuncts
  optionally included, subjects obligatorily
  excluded

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Our new structure
VP

• Three levels
• V
• V
• VP ( V)

V
PP
V
on Tuesday
NP
V
ate
a chocolate bar
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The structure of sentences
VP
V
NP
I
V
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Describing positions in trees
VP

• V is the head of VP
• V projects VP
• VP is the maximal projection of V

NP
V
PP
I
V
on Tuesday
NP
V
ate
a chocolate bar
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Describing positions in trees
VP

• Complement
• obligatory
• position
• sister of V
• daughter of V

NP
V
PP
I
V
on Tuesday
NP
V
ate
a chocolate bar
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Describing positions in trees
VP

• Adjunct(s)
• optional
• position
• sister of V
• daughter of V

NP
V
PP
I
V
on Tuesday
NP
V
ate
a chocolate bar
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Describing positions in trees
VP

• Specifier
• obligatory (at least, in this case)
• position
• sister of V
• daughter of VP

NP
V
PP
I
V
on Tuesday
NP
V
ate
a chocolate bar
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You try

• He wore a hat
• and you did so too
• and you did so a scarf

I swam in the pool and she did so too and she
did so in the sea

• Are these grammatical?
• What are the elementary trees for swam and wore?
• Is in the pool an adjunct or a complement? What
  about a hat?

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A closer look at NPs one substitution

• one substitution a constituency test (like do so
  substitution)
• This piece of pie from France is tasty, and that
  piece of pie from France is nasty

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A closer look at NPs one substitution

• one substitution a constituency test (like do so
  substitution)
• This piece of pie from France is tasty, and that
  one is nasty
• one substitutes for piece of pie from France
• What does that substitution tell you?

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A closer look at NPs one substitution

• This piece of pie from France is tasty and that
  one is nasty
• This piece of pie from France is tasty and that
  one from Holland is nasty
• This piece of pie from France is tasty and that
  one of cake from Holland is nasty
• Nested constituents and a complement (again)

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A closer look at NPs one substitution

• This piece of pie from France is tasty and that
  one is nasty
• This piece of pie from France is tasty and that
  one from Holland is nasty
• This piece of pie from France is tasty and that
  one of cake from Holland is nasty
• One substitutes for N, just as do so substitutes
  for V.

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Summary of facts

• piece of pie from France is a constituent
• piece of pie is a constituent
• of pie is a complement of piece
• We need a tree to cover these facts

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Our new structure
NP
N
PP
N
PP
N
from France
piece
of pie
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Our new structure
VP
V
V
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Our new structure
NP
N
PP
N
PP
N
from France
piece
of pie
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Our new structure explained
NP

• Three levels
• N
• N
• NP ( N)

N
PP
N
from France
PP
N
piece
of pie
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Our new structure explained
NP

• piece of pie from France is a constituent
• piece of pie is a constituent
• complements are identified by position

N
PP
N
from France
PP
N
piece
of pie
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Fitting in the determiner
NP
N
PP
N
PP
N
from France
piece
of pie
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Fitting in the determiner
VP
V
V
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Fitting in the determiner
VP
V
NP
I
V
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Fitting in the determiner
NP
N
PP
N
PP
N
from France
piece
of pie
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Fitting in the determiner
NP
N
Det
this
PP
N
PP
N
from France
piece
of pie
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Elementary tree for piece
NP
N
Det
PP
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Det-N agreement in English number

• this piece
• this pieces
• these piece
• these pieces

NP
N
Det
PP
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Det-N agreement in English number

• this man
• this men
• these man
• these men
• the man
• the men
• a man
• a men

NP
N
Det
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Det-N agreement in Hungarian number case

• ez a férfi Nominative, singular
• ezek a férfiak Nominative, plural
• ezt a férfit Accusative, singular
• ezeket a férfiakot Accusative, plural

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Det-N agreement in Latin number gender case

• hic vir Nom., Masc., Sing.
• haec femina Nom., Fem., Sing.
• hi viri Nom., Masc., Plur.
• hae feminae Nom., Fem., Plur.
• hunc virum Acc., Masc., Sing.
• hanc feminam Acc., Fem., Sing.

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Building our new structure
NP
N
Det
PP

• Elementary tree for piece

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Building our new structure
NP
N
Det
PP
PP
of pie

• Substitute in PP complement

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Building our new structure
NP
N
Det
Det
this

• Substitute in Determiner

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Building our new structure
NP
N
N

• Clone N

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Building our new structure
NP
N
N
PP

• Add PP substitution node

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Building our new structure
NP
N
N
PP
PP
from France

• Substitute in adjunct

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and repeat
NP
N
N
PP
N
on my plate
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NP-VP parallels

• NPs and VPs have similar structure

NP
VP
Det
NP
N
V
PP
NP
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NP-VP parallels
NP
N
Det
this
N
PP
PP
N
from France
piece
of pie
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NP-VP parallels
VP
V
NP
I
V
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Other categories AP
AP
A
?
very
A
proud
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Other categories PP
PP
P
?
right
P
NP
behind
the supermarket
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X theory

• All phrases have similar structure

XP
X
WP
ZP
X
specifier
YP
adjunct
complement
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The idea behind X theory

• X can be
• V
• N
• P
• Adj
• Adv

XP
X
X
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The idea behind X theory
XP

• X is the head of XP
• X projects XP
• XP is the maximal projection of X

X
X
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The idea behind X theory
XP

• Categories of the
• complements
• adjuncts
• specifiers
• depend on the head

X
X
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Positions
XP

• Complement
• obligatory
• position
• sister of X
• daughter of X

X
X
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Positions
XP

• Adjunct(s)
• optional
• position
• sister of X
• daughter of X

X
X
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Positions
XP

• Specifier
• obligatory (perhaps)
• position
• sister of X
• daughter of XP

X
X
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X as language universal?
XP

• Strong claim
• all phrases in all languages have this structure
• only difference is linear order

X
X
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X as language universal?
XP
X
WP
ZP
X
specifier
YP
adjunct
complement
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X as language universal?
XP
X
WP
ZP
X
specifier
adjunct
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X as language universal?
XP
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X as language universal?
XP
WP
specifier
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An example Japanese

• Specifiers and complements precede heads

VP
V
NP
V
NP
John-ga John
yonda read
tegami-o letter
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An example Japanese

• Adjuncts precede heads

VP
V
NP
V
PP
John-ga John
V
PP
kuruma-de car-by
Kobe-ni Kobe-to
itta went
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An example Japanese
VP

• So in Japanese,
• Specifiers precede
• Adjuncts precede
• Complements precede
• Heads

V
Specifier
V
Adjunct
John-ga John
Which orders of the above are impossible under
X-theory?
Head
Complement
kuruma-de car-by
Kobe-ni Kobe-to
itta went
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Summary

• The structure of verb and noun phrases
• Cross-categorial similarities
• Intermediate categories and X structure
• head, complement, adjunct, specifier

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Whats next

• Auxiliaries and functional structure
• A first look at movement
• Verbal inflection and verb position in English
  and French