Pedagogical Grammar Chapter 6
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Questions and Answers

What does the idiom 'Curiosity killed the cat' imply?

  • Being curious has no consequences.
  • Curiosity can lead to danger. (correct)
  • Being curious is always safe.
  • Cats are inherently dangerous animals.
  • Which aspect of syntactic structure is primarily discussed in the context of movement?

  • How θ-roles are assigned within a clause. (correct)
  • The concept of fixed idiomatic expressions.
  • The invariability of sentence structure.
  • The necessity for every sentence to have a subject.
  • In the idiom 'Elvis has left the building', which grammatical feature cannot be modified?

  • The object of the sentence.
  • The subject of the sentence.
  • The idiomatic concept.
  • The verb tense. (correct)
  • What is one of the benefits of analyzing movement as Remerge?

    <p>It helps keep case and θ-relations close or local. (B)</p> Signup and view all the answers

    What does 'FinP' represent in the analysis of sentential idioms?

    <p>A clause that signifies a complete idea. (C)</p> Signup and view all the answers

    What is the outcome of auxiliary inversion in wh-questions?

    <p>The subject and auxiliary swap positions. (B)</p> Signup and view all the answers

    Which complementiser introduces embedded declarative clauses?

    <p>that (D)</p> Signup and view all the answers

    What type of phrase is introduced by the complementiser 'if'?

    <p>Question Phrase (D)</p> Signup and view all the answers

    Which sentence demonstrates incorrect auxiliary inversion?

    <p>Which yellow chair have John been trying to find? (C)</p> Signup and view all the answers

    In the sentence "I don’t think that Adrian has always liked yellow chairs," what structure is being formed by 'that Adrian has always liked yellow chairs'?

    <p>An embedded clause (C)</p> Signup and view all the answers

    What is the primary function of the CP or Complementiser Phrase?

    <p>To introduce clauses with different types. (C)</p> Signup and view all the answers

    Which element is a necessary part of the structure in wh-questions?

    <p>An auxiliary verb (D)</p> Signup and view all the answers

    What grammatical function does 'XP' typically represent in a tree structure?

    <p>A specifier or modifier phrase (D)</p> Signup and view all the answers

    What is the main difference in the structure between 'John seems to win the race' and 'John hopes to win the race'?

    <p>'Seem' allows for an embedded clause, while 'hope' prefers declarative structures. (D)</p> Signup and view all the answers

    Which of the following sentences correctly demonstrates a seem-construction?

    <p>John seems to always win the race. (B)</p> Signup and view all the answers

    In the context of theta-role assignment, how does John receive its theta-role in the seem-construction?

    <p>By moving to the matrix clause from the embedded clause. (D)</p> Signup and view all the answers

    Why is 'It hopes that John always wins the race' considered incorrect?

    <p>'Hope' cannot take an embedded clause as its subject. (C)</p> Signup and view all the answers

    What syntactic behavior is exhibited by the sentences 'John seems [to win the race]' and 'John hopes [PRO to win the race]'?

    <p>Both involve a full clause where metamorphosis of subjects occurs. (A)</p> Signup and view all the answers

    What syntactic construction is represented by 'John seems [ to always win the race ]'?

    <p>Subject-raising construction (C)</p> Signup and view all the answers

    In the example 'John hopes [ PRO to always win the race ]', what is the role of PRO?

    <p>Controller of the embedded clause (D)</p> Signup and view all the answers

    What does the condition on uninterpretable features state about feature checking?

    <p>Uninterpretable features must be c-commanded by matching interpretable features. (C)</p> Signup and view all the answers

    What is the main difference between the seem-construction and the hope-construction?

    <p>Seem-construction is defined by subject-to-subject raising. (C)</p> Signup and view all the answers

    In the relation of nominative case agreement, what is problematic according to case theory?

    <p>Uninterpretable features must have a matching interpretable counterpart in the same clause. (C)</p> Signup and view all the answers

    What is illustrated by the structure 'Mary loves herself'?

    <p>Nominative case agreement with self-reference (D)</p> Signup and view all the answers

    To what does the term 'c-command' refer in syntactic theory?

    <p>The ability of one structure to access another syntactically. (D)</p> Signup and view all the answers

    What role does the DP of 'Mary' fulfill in the sentence structure presented?

    <p>Matrix subject (B)</p> Signup and view all the answers

    What does the VISH analysis predict about floating quantifiers in subject-raising constructions?

    <p>Floating quantifiers can appear in any earlier position of the moved subject. (D)</p> Signup and view all the answers

    Which of the following sentences correctly demonstrates subject-raising with a floating quantifier?

    <p>The teachers are all dancing. (B), All the teachers are dancing. (C)</p> Signup and view all the answers

    According to the idiom generalization, which of the following can receive an idiomatic interpretation?

    <p>Only fixed constituents. (C)</p> Signup and view all the answers

    Which of the following sentences correctly provides an idiomatic meaning?

    <p>The shit hit the fan. (C), John had cold feet. (D)</p> Signup and view all the answers

    In the context of idioms, which statement is true regarding their structure?

    <p>Idioms can involve verb phrases as a fixed constituent. (C)</p> Signup and view all the answers

    Which components are involved in constructing the subject-raising analysis?

    <p>Embedded non-finite FinP and matrix finite FinP. (C)</p> Signup and view all the answers

    What happens when the subject originates in the VP regarding idiomatic expression?

    <p>It qualifies as a fixed constituent if it is structured correctly. (B)</p> Signup and view all the answers

    Which of the following best describes the interpretive function of idioms?

    <p>Idioms convey complex, fixed expressions with specific meanings. (C)</p> Signup and view all the answers

    What does the VP-Internal Subject Hypothesis (VISH) suggest about the relationship between [Fin] and [uFin]?

    <p>[Fin] c-commands [uFin] when the subject is in SpecVP. (A)</p> Signup and view all the answers

    Which of the following sentences contains an expletive subject?

    <p>There is a man walking in the street. (C)</p> Signup and view all the answers

    In the example of floating quantifiers, which sentence is considered grammatically incorrect?

    <p>The teachers are dancing all on the table. (A)</p> Signup and view all the answers

    What role does 'A man' play in the sentence 'A man is walking in the street'?

    <p>Logical subject (A)</p> Signup and view all the answers

    Which of the following represents the correct interpretation of floating quantifiers?

    <p>Their placement affects the grammaticality of the sentence. (A)</p> Signup and view all the answers

    Which construction indicates that 'there' is functioning as an expletive?

    <p>The sentence lacks a specific referential subject. (D)</p> Signup and view all the answers

    What is the main argument for the VP-Internal Subject Hypothesis (VISH) regarding subjects?

    <p>Subjects can occupy SpecVP under certain conditions. (D)</p> Signup and view all the answers

    Which of the following sentences correctly demonstrates the placement of floating quantifiers?

    <p>All the teachers are dancing on the table. (B)</p> Signup and view all the answers

    Flashcards

    Embedded Questions

    Questions within a sentence, nested inside a main clause. Typically introduced with words like 'I wonder'.

    Declarative Sentences

    Statements, expressing a fact or an opinion; not questions.

    θ-role assignment

    The process by which a grammatical element in a sentence is assigned its role/function.

    Movements (in grammar)

    Changes in the position of a phrase/word that maintain its syntactic role. Example: pronoun and verb motion within the sentence.

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    Embedded Clause

    A clause that appears inside another clause.

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    Auxiliary Inversion (Wh-Questions)

    The subject and auxiliary verb swap positions in English wh-questions.

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    Wh-Movement

    Moving the wh-phrase (e.g., "which chair") to the front of the sentence in a question.

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    Embedded Clauses (CP)

    A clause within another clause; introduced by a complementizer like "that" or "if".

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    Complementizer

    A word (like "that" or "if") that introduces an embedded clause.

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    Declarative Complement

    An embedded clause which reports or states something (like a declarative sentence).

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    Question Complement

    An embedded clause expressing a question.

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    Movement as Remerge

    Concept that movement of phrases can be viewed as re-merging these phrases at other positions in the tree.

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    Auxiliary in Wh-Questions

    The auxiliary verb (has, will, must, etc.) moves to the front of the verb phrase when forming a question with a wh-word.

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    Raising Construction

    A grammatical structure where a noun phrase (NP) moves from an embedded clause to the matrix clause, becoming the subject of the main verb. This movement preserves the NP's original θ-role (thematic role) in the embedded clause.

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    Subject Control

    A grammatical construction where the subject of the main verb (matrix clause) controls the subject of the embedded verb. This means the subject of the matrix clause determines the referent of the embedded clause's subject.

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    Subject-Raising Construction

    A type of construction where the subject of the embedded clause is raised to become the subject of the matrix clause, creating a subject-to-subject relation.

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    Control Construction

    A grammatical structure where the subject of the main verb (matrix clause) controls the referent of the embedded verb's subject, but the embedded subject's position remains unchanged.

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    Uninterpretable Feature

    A grammatical feature that doesn't have a semantic meaning but is essential for syntactic operations. It is removed during the derivation of a sentence.

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    Interpretable Feature

    A grammatical feature that contributes to the meaning of a sentence. It remains in the sentence after the syntactic derivation is complete.

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    Feature Checking

    The process in which a syntactic element with an uninterpretable feature seeks out a matching interpretable feature in the same clause. This interaction ensures the sentence is correctly built.

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    C-command

    A grammatical relationship where a constituent (phrase) can 'see' another constituent (phrase) in the sentence. This is necessary for certain syntactic operations.

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    VP-Internal Subject Hypothesis (VISH)

    This hypothesis proposes that the subject of a sentence is initially generated within the verb phrase (VP), before moving to its final position in the sentence.

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    Expletive Subject

    A grammatical subject that does not refer to any real-world entity and is used to fill a syntactic position. For example, 'there' in 'There is a man walking in the street.'

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    Logical Subject

    The true semantic subject of a sentence, the one that carries the action or state described by the verb.

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    Floating Quantifier

    A quantifier (like 'all', 'both') that appears outside of the noun phrase it modifies, usually attached to the verb phrase.

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    Why are floating quantifiers important?

    Floating quantifiers provide evidence supporting VISH. Because they modify the VP, it suggests the subject was originally inside the VP.

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    What's the difference between 'All the teachers are dancing' and 'The teachers are all dancing'?

    The first sentence places the quantifier 'all' within the VP, while the second moves it outside the VP. This shows that the subject 'the teachers' started inside the VP.

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    How does VISH explain expletive subjects?

    VISH argues that expletive subjects are placeholders inserted to satisfy syntactic requirements while the real subject originates within the VP and moves.

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    What is the general idea behind VISH?

    The VP-Internal Subject Hypothesis suggests that the subject of a sentence begins its journey within the VP and then moves to its final position, often due to syntactic constraints.

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    Sentential Idiom

    A fixed phrase where the entire clause (not just a single word or phrase) has a special, idiomatic meaning.

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    FinP (Finite Phrase)

    The part of a sentence that contains the verb and its tense or mood (e.g. 'has left', 'will break').

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    Remerge

    Moving a word or phrase to a different position in a sentence, but not changing its underlying role.

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    Case Checking

    The process of ensuring words like nouns and pronouns have the correct grammatical form (e.g. 'he' vs. 'him').

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    θ-role (Thematic Role)

    The specific role of a word or phrase in a sentence, based on meaning (e.g., 'agent' who performs the action, 'patient' who receives the action).

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    Subject-Raising

    A process where the subject of an embedded clause (a clause inside another clause) moves to the subject position of the main clause.

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    VISH Analysis

    A theory that explains how sentences are structured, focusing on how subjects are raised and how quantifiers can move around.

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    Idiom

    A fixed phrase with a meaning that is not the literal meaning of the words combined.

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    Fixed Constituent

    A group of words that are not usually separated or changed, forming a fixed unit with its own specific meaning.

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    Subject Origin in VP

    The idea that certain subjects may have been originally part of the verb phrase before moving up to the subject position.

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    Idiomatic Interpretation

    Understanding a phrase based on its idiomatic meaning, not the literal combination of words.

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    Fixed Constituent + Idiomatic Interpretation

    The idea that a fixed group of words can carry a special meaning, making it an idiom.

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    Study Notes

    Course Information

    • Course title: Pedagogical Grammar
    • Course code: ENG 240
    • Semester: Fall 2024
    • Days: Mondays & Thursdays
    • Time: 13:30 - 15:00

    Chapter 6: Introducing Syntax

    • (Im)possible Word Orders
      • Word order in sentence (1) is ungrammatical.
      • Word order in sentence (2) is grammatical.
      • This applies to clauses and nested clauses.
    • Asking Questions
      • Wh-questions can span clause boundaries.
      • Question forms exist.
    • Towards Movement
      • The position of a word can be moved within its sentence.
      • It can move to different places in a sentence.
    • Merge Again
      • Merging of words, phrases, and subcategories to allow for a full sentence to be formed.
    • And Another Merge (or Two)
      • Additional merging of components in a sentence.
      • Alternative merging options to create different sentence structures.

    Embedded Clauses: The CP

    • Analysis of embedded clauses using the CP.
      • Example of analysis with various embedded clauses.
    • C-Features
      • Complementisers (e.g., that, if) have interpretable features [C].
      • Different complementisers have different features.
    • Wh-Questions and Features within CP
      • Wh-questions in English use auxiliary inversion.
    • Movement as Remerge
      • Movement of constituents is analogous to merging.

    Questions vs. Declaratives

    • Wh-words and features within CP lead to various sentence structures.
    • Movement of specific elements to form questions or declarations.

    Wh-Movement & Auxiliary Movement

    • Wh-words can move from their initial positions.
    • Auxiliaries also move in wh-questions.

    Embedded Clauses: The CP

    • Embedded clauses have a CP structure.
    • Complementizers (e.g., that, if) introduce CPs.

    Seem- vs. Hope-Constructions Again

    • Seem construction has a distinct structure.
    • Hope construction and seem construction differ in their structure.

    John seems to win the race.

    • This sentence has a specific structure.

    John hopes to win the race.

    • This sentence has a different structure than the 'seem' example.

    Another Example of Movement

    • How the constituent (e.g., subject) plays a role in the seem construction.
    • constituents' internal roles are crucial.

    Embedded vs. Non-Embedded

    • The difference between embedded and non-embedded structures and their features.

    VP-Internal Subject Hypothesis

    • Discussion of the VP-Internal Subject Hypothesis (VISH).
    • Explanatory examples to illustrate the VISH concept.

    VISH Argument 1: Expletive Subjects

    • Analysis of expletive subjects and their role in sentences.
    • Details on tree structures of expletive sentences.

    VISH Argument 2: Floating Quantifiers

    • Analysis and examples of floating quantifiers.
    • How their placement affects sentence structure.

    VISH Argument 3: Idioms

    • Examples of idioms and how they fit within the VISH framework.
    • Analyzing idioms that have subject-object clauses.
    • Idioms with subject + transitive verb analysis.

    More on Idioms

    • Explanation of the constraints on idiom interpretation.
    • Different idioms, and sentences containing idioms' features highlighted.

    A Conceptual Argument for VISH

    • Explanation of the rationale behind the VP-Internal Subject Hypothesis.
    • How the features interact to provide an effective sentence structure.

    Taking Stock

    • Unification problems within syntactic dependencies addressed.
    • Conditions on uninterpretable features explored.

    Mary loves herself

    • Analyzing the sentence structure using features like [Fin] and [uFin], and others.
    • Identifying the internal roles and their interrelations in such sentences.

    Analysis: Idioms

    • Examples of idioms and their clause analysis method.
    • Determining the parts of speech within sentential idioms.

    Summary

    • Summary of grammatical components.
    • Summary of the relationship between movement and cases.
    • Summary of approaches and issues.

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    Description

    Test your understanding of syntax and word order with this quiz based on Chapter 6 of Pedagogical Grammar. You'll explore grammatical and ungrammatical structures, question forms, and the merging of clauses. This quiz will also cover the analysis of embedded clauses within sentences.

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