Transcript Can you put this scrambled phrase in order?

English Syntax – Lecture 2
David Brett
University of Sassari 2007
Constructions
• Copula constructions link subject and other phrase
• These can be of three types:
NP Copula AP
NP Copula NP
NP Copula PP
Jack is very
happy.
Jack is a boy.
Ascriptive
Jack is in the
class.
Locative
Equative
Other qualities of constructions
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1.
2.
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INTERROGATIVE V. DECLARATIVE
INTERROGATIVE:
YES/NO
WHACTIVE V. PASSIVE
DIRECT OBJECT v. OBLIQUE OBJECT
v. DOUBLE OBJECT
Example 1
• The dog eats brown biscuits
• [NON-COPULA, DECLARATIVE, DIRECT
OBJECT, ACTIVE]
Example 2
• Where are the brown biscuits?
• [COPULA, INTERROGATIVE, WH,
LOCATIVE]
Example 3
• How many linguists was the light bulb
changed by?
• [NON-COPULA, INTERROGATIVE, WH,
PASSIVE]
Classify these clauses
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Jane is desperate
Coffee has been drunk for centuries.
Were they broken by the hooligans?
Are the books in the shop?
Where did they go for their dinner?
Who was the car crashed by?
Classes of verbs and
subcategorisation restrictions
Class
Definition
Example
Intransitive Verb
excludes a noun
phrase to its right
Mr Knightley woke
up.
Transitive Verb
requires a noun
phrase to its right
Emma criticised
Miss Bates.
Ditransitive Verb
'twice transitive’
Frank gave Jane a
requires two noun piano.
phrases to its right
Classes of verbs and
subcategorisation restrictions #2
Class
Definition
Example
Intransitive Locational
Verb
excludes a noun
phrase to its right but
requires a
prepositional phrase,
Mr Woodhouse sat in
an armchair.
Transitive Directional
Verb
requires to its right
both a noun phrase
and a directional
phrase
John pushed his son
into the room
Classes of verbs and
subcategorisation restrictions #3
Class
Definition
Example
requires to its right:
an adjective phrase
Jane seemed happy.
or a noun phrase
…seemed a sensible
person
or a prepositional
phrase
…seemed in good
spirits
or an infinitive
…seemed to be
unhappy
Copula
Classes of nouns
concrete
abstract
common
proper
count
Vs.
mass
animate
inanimate
human
non-human
What is wrong with the following?
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The stone ate the apple.
The spaghetti are very tasty.
The dog promised not to do it again.
John put the ideas in another room.
The Michael is very good at football.
What is wrong with the following?
The stone ate the apple.
EAT requires animate noun
The spaghetti are very tasty. Spaghetti is a mass
(uncountable) noun in
English – hence non-plural
The dog promised not to do
it again.
PROMISE requires human
noun
John put the ideas in
another room.
PUT requires concrete noun
The Michael is very good at
football.
Proper noun cannot be
preceded by a determiner
Fixed phrases (after Crystal)
POLYWORDS:
in a nutshell
once and for all
INSTITUTIONALISED EXPRESSIONS:
Give me a break!
How do you do?
Long time no see
Pleased to meet you
See you soon
come to think of it
it doesn't bear thinking about
HIGHLY CONSTRAINED PHRASES
as I was - (saying/mentioning)
as far as I - (can see/can make out/know)
I (just) can't think straight
I thought I told you not to do that
SENTENCE BUILDERS:
my point is that
let me begin by
not only ... but also
COLLOCATIONS:
staple food/diet/industry
wouldn't/won't/ couldn't budge
a heavy smoker a heavy drinker
Main and subordinate clauses
• Compound sentences consist of two or
more clauses joined by conjunctions.
e.g.
• [I went to bed] but [Harry went out].
• [Jack painted the gate] and [I helped him
a bit].
Subordinate clauses
• Complex sentences consist of a main
clause and one or more, other clauses
subordinate to it
Main types of subordinate clause
• complement clause
• relative clause
• adverbial clause
Complement clauses
• I like the idea that you came up with.
NOUN COMPLEMENT
• I feared that I would have to call the police.
VERB COMPLEMENT
Relative clauses
• I liked the book that/which you gave me.
• The man that/who attacked me is now in
jail
Adverbial clauses
Reason
Because Marianne loved
Willoughby, she refused to believe
that he had deserted her.
Time
When we returned, we found the
dog had eaten the Christmas tree.
Manner
Henry packed his bags as quickly
as possible.
Concession
Although I disliked Mrs Bennett, I
loved her daughter.
Condition
If she had left Hartfield, her
boyfriend would have been
unhappy.
Can you identify and define the subordinate
clauses (complement, relative or adverbial)?
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I believe that she is sincere
They accept the theory that the earth is flat.
I called a girl that I had met last year.
Since you don’t like wine, I’ll get you a beer.
When you go home, don’t say a word about this.
A man who could play the piano helped us tune it.
If you don’t go away, I’ll call the police.
I’ll give them the book I got last year.
They fear that they will never be able to find the
mountaineers.