Lecture 5: Phrases

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Lecture 5 Phrases

• ENGL 3373
• Dr. Min-Joo Kim

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Phrases

• Usually, a phrase means more than one word.
• But, in syntax, it means a group of words forming
  a unit around a head, e.g., a N or a V.
• Important Every lexical head projects into a
  phrase.
• Note Some grammatical heads also project into
  phrases but we wont deal with them in this class.

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Phrases contd

• This means that
• A noun projects into a noun phrase (NP)
• A verb projects into a verb phrase (VP)
• An adjective projects into an adjective phrase
  (AP)
• An adverb projects into an adverb phrase (AdvP)
• A preposition projects into a preposition phrase
  (PP).
• We can call a lexical head X and its phrase XP.

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What constitutes a phrase

• Head the root of a phrase. Only lexical heads
  (i.e., N, V, Adj, Adv, P) can project into
  phrases.
• Specifier specifies the heads meaning. Occupied
  by function words such as determiners, degree
  adverbs.
• Complement the sister to a head. Selected by the
  head as its argument.
• Adjunct the modifier of a heads meaning.
  Attached to the X-bar level.

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Configuration of a XP

• (1) XP
• Y (specifier) X
• X AP (adjunct)
• X (head) ZP (complement)

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Characteristics of a phrase

• Every phrase must have a head the others are
  only optional.
• Phrases are hierarchical things may be at
  different levels, entering into a mother-daughter
  relation.
• Names of relations
• Sister if X and Y are in a sister relation, they
  are at the same level in the tree.
• Mother-daughter if X and Y are in a
  mother-daughter relation, one is one level higher
  than the other in the tree.

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Characteristics of a phrase

• The intermediate level, i.e., X-bar level, may
  not be projected.
• Phrases of the same nature can be coordinated by
  conjunctions such as and, or, but.
• Phrases can contain other phrases. In fact,
  except for the head, all the other elements of a
  phrase are phrasal as well. See the following
  slide (and also (1)).

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A NP inside a VP

• (2) VP
• NP
• V D N
• love the movie

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NP structure

• The specifier of a N is a determiner (D) if
  theres any
• (3) NP
• D N
• N
• Those books
• Important D is sister to N, not N.

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NP structure

• Some nouns can select for clausal complements
• (5) NP
• N
• D N S
• the rumor that syntax is hard

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NP structure

• Nouns can have adjectival modifiers, which are
  adjoined to N.
• (7) NP
• N
• AdjP N
• D Adj N
• A fat zebra

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NP structure

• Ns can also have PPs as their modifiers
• (8) NP
• N
• N PP
• D N P N
• the flood in New Orleans

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Exercise 1

• Draw tree diagrams for the following NPs (treat
  adjectives as Adjective phrases)
• The book
• The interesting book
• The interesting book on syntax
• Every student from the class

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VP structure

• Just like NPs, VPs can have different
  structures, depending on the type of verb and
  whether theres an adverbial modifier.
• Some verbs can occur alone, without any thing
  other than the subject they are called
  intransitive verbs.

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VP structure

• (1) VP
• V
• V
• ran
• Again, projecting the V level is optional.

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VP structure

• Some verbs can take an NP as an object. They are
  called transitive verbs.
• (2) VP
• V
• V NP
• read a book

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VP structure

• Some verbs can take two objects. They are called
  ditransitive e.g., give, send, mail, bring.
• (3) VP
• V
• V NP NP
• Give Mary a book

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VP structure

• Any verb can be modified by (manner) adverbs,
  which are adjoined to V-bar.
• (4) a. John ran quickly.
• b. John read a book quickly.
• c. John gave Mary a book quickly.
• c John quickly gave Mary a book.

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VP structure

• (5) VP
• V
• V AdvP
• V NP
• read a book quickly

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VP structure

• Verbs can also be modified by PPs.
• (6) VP
• V
• V PP
• V P NP
• Walked with a dog

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Exercise 2

• Draw the tree diagram for the following VPs,
  i.e., the underlined parts
• (1)a. John ordered a pizza.
• b. John ordered a pizza from the store.
• c. John mailed Mary a book.
• d. John mailed Mary a book quickly.
• e. John mailed a book to Mary.

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Adjective Phrase Structure

• Unlike VPs, AdjPs can also have specifiers
  because adjectives can be modified by degree
  adverbs (e.g., really, very, quite, darn,
  absolutely).
• You are very funny.
• He is absolutely right.

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AdjP structure

• (1) AdjP
• DegAdvP A
• DegAdv A
• DegAdv
• very funny

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AdjP structure

• Some Adjs can have complements e.g., proud,
  lovely, happy, nice.
• (3) AdjP
• Adj PP
• P NP
• proud of you

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AdjP inside a VP

• AdjPs occur inside a VP, which is headed by a
  linking verb. Their relation is head-complement.
  
• (4)a. You VP are AP very funny.
• b. John VP became AP really strange.

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Exercise 3

• Draw tree diagrams for the underlined parts.
• (1)a. She was quite intriguing.
• b. Melissa is happy about the results.
• c. Josh was really fond of Jane.
• d. The surprising story
• e. The truly surprising story.

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AdvP Structure

• Just like AdjPs, the spec position of AdvPs can
  be occupied by degree adverbs (e.g., really,
  very, quite, darn, absolutely).
• John ran AdvP very fast.
• (2) He could recite the poem AdvP totally
  flawlessly.

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AdvP structure

• As far as we can tell, Adverbs dont take
  complements.
• Adverbs modify verbs but can also be their
  complements
• (3) a. I phrased it carefully.
• b. I phrased it.
• (4) a. I read the book carefully.
• b. I read the book.

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AdvP structure

• VP
• V
• V NP AdvP
• phrased it carefully

• VP
• V
• V
• V NP AdvP
• read it carefully.

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Exercise 4

• Draw tree diagrams for the underlined parts
• He ran really slowly.
• Mark arrived remarkably late.
• John worded the letter nicely.
• John remembered the letter well.

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Structure of a PP

• PPs are headed by P which selects for an NP
  complement.
• PP
• P NP
• I saw you at the restaurant.

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PP structure

• PPs can also contain a specifier (e.g., right,
  just)
• PP
• AdvP P
• P NP
• (2) The store is right around the corner.

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PP structure

• PPs select for NPs but they can also modify
  NPs, as shown earlier.
• (2) John hid the book PP1 P in NP the closet
  PP2 in his room .

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PP structure

• Some Ps are phrasal (e.g., in front of, as soon
  as, a lot of)
• I saw him in front of the movie theater.
• (2) I left the party as soon as he came.

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Exercise 5

• Draw tree diagrams for the underlined parts
• Steve put the book on the table.
• Todd walked right into his room.
• John hid the book in the closet in this room.
• Susan was in front of me.

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Sentence structure

• What constitutes a sentence? That is, what kind
  of phrases does a sentence consist of?
• Our initial answer S NP VP
• a. John walked into the store.
• b. The rabbit caught a mouse skillfully.
• c. Every student came to the class.

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Sentence structure

• BUT, this does not always hold sometimes a
  sentence or a clause can occur as the subject of
  the sentence.
• (2) That John likes Modern English Syntax
  pleased me.
• Well learn more about sentence structure down
  the road.

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Next class

• Constituency test (or diagnostics for
  phrase-hood)
• Tree drawing for various types of sentences, in
  particular, ambiguous sentences.