Introduction to Generative Grammar

Seminar 4: Structural relations &

case assignment
Date: January 17, 2014



Instructor: Adriana Todea
Office hours: Friday 2-3 p.m. Alpha Centre room

I.Using the X-bar model draw the tree diagram of the
following sentence:
Where did Maria meet Susan after the concert?

II. Describe the structural relations between the following
sets of nodes in the tree diagram in the previous exercise.
For each pair, try to find as many structural relations as
possible.
(a) V and NP Susan
(b) V and PP after the concert
(c) V and NP the concert
(d) P and NP the concert
(e) I and NP Maria
(f) NP Susan and PP after the concert

Temporal
Location
Patient
meet
V
NP
Maria
VP
I
IP
D-structure
CP
V
V
V
where
AdvP
P
NP
the concert
P
after
Agent
I
did
Susan
NP
PP
[+Past tense
+Abstract agr.
+EPP]
C
C
[+interr]
Temporal
Location
Patient
meet
V
NP
Maria
VP
I
IP
C
C
CP
V
V
V
P
NP
the concert
P
after
Agent
I
did
Susan
NP
PP
[+Past tense
+Abstract agr.
+EPP]
where
AdvP
k

t
k

[+interr]
Location
Patient
meet
V
VP
I
IP
C
C
CP
V
V
V
P
NP
the concert
P
after
Agent
I
did
Susan
NP
PP
where
AdvP
k

t
k

NP
i

Maria
t
i

Temporal
[+interr]
[+Past tense
+Abstract agr.
+EPP]
Location
Patient
meet
V
VP
I
IP
S-structure
C
C
CP
V
V
V
P
NP
the concert
P
after
Agent
I
Susan
NP
PP

did
j

t
j

NP
i

Maria
t
i

where
AdvP
k

t
k
Temporal
[+interr]
[+Past tense
+Abstract agr.
+EPP]
Acc.
Patient
meet
V
VP
I
IP
Structural relations
C
C
CP
V
V
V
P
NP
the concert
P
after
I
Susan
NP
PP

did
j

t
j

NP
i

Maria
t
i

where
AdvP
k

t
k

V and NP Susan
no dominance
V precedes NP Susan
V c-commands NP
NP c-commands V
mutual c-command
V m-commands NP
NP m-commands V
mutual m-command
V governs NP Susan
[+interr]
[+Past tense
+Abstract agr.
+EPP]
meet
V
VP
I
IP
Structural relations
C
C
CP
V
V
V
P
NP
the concert
P
after
I
Susan
NP
PP

did
j

t
j

NP
i

Maria
t
i

where
AdvP
k

t
k

V and PP after the concert
no dominance
V precedes PP
V does not c-command PP
PP c-commands V
V m-commands PP
PP m-commands V
mutual m-command
V governs PP
PP
[+interr]
[+Past tense
+Abstract agr.
+EPP]
meet
V
VP
I
IP
Structural relations
C
C
CP
V
V
V
P
NP
the concert
P
after
I
Susan
NP
PP

did
j

t
j

NP
i

Maria
t
i

where
AdvP
k

t
k

V and NP the concert
no dominance
V precedes NP the concert
V does not c-command NP
NP does not c-command V
V m-commands NP
NP does not m-command V
V does not govern NP the concert
[+interr]
[+Past tense
+Abstract agr.
+EPP]
Acc.
meet
V
VP
I
IP
Structural relations
C
C
CP
V
V
V
P
NP
the concert
P
after
I
Susan
NP
PP

did
j

t
j

NP
i

Maria
t
i

where
AdvP
k

t
k

P and NP the concert
no dominance
P precedes NP the concert
P c-commands NP
NP c-commands P
mutual c-command
P m-commands NP
NP m-commands P
mutual m-command
P governs NP the concert
Temporal
[+interr]
[+Past tense
+Abstract agr.
+EPP]
Nom.
meet
V
VP
I
IP
Structural relations
C
C
CP
V
V
V
P
NP
the concert
P
after
I
Susan
NP
PP

did
j

t
j

NP
i

Maria
t
i

where
AdvP
k

t
k

I and NP Maria
no dominance
NP Maria precedes I
I does not c-command NP
NP c-commands I
I m-commands NP
NP m-commands I
mutual m-command
I governs NP Maria
[+interr]
[+Past tense
+Abstract agr.
+EPP]
NP
meet
V
VP
I
IP
Structural relations
C
C
CP
V
V
V
P
NP
the concert
P
after
I
Susan
PP

did
j

t
j

NP
i

Maria
t
i

where
AdvP
k

t
k

NP Susan and PP after the concert
no dominance
NP precedes PP
NP does not c-command PP
PP c-commands NP
NP m-commands PP
PP m-commands NP
mutual m-command
no government
PP
[+interr]
[+Past tense
+Abstract agr.
+EPP]
I.Using the X-bar model draw the tree diagram of the
following sentence:
George expects Peter to sell his bicycle by the end of
the month.

II. Describe the structural relations between the following
sets of nodes in the tree diagram in the previous exercise.
For each pair, try to find as many structural relations as
possible.
(a) V expect and NP Peter
(b) I -s and NP George
(c) N end and PP of the month
(d) V sell and NP the end of the month
(e) V sell and NP his bicycle
(f) NP his bicycle and PP by the end of the month

Further practice
Consider the example below. How do the underlined NPs
acquire case?
NP
case (Nom, Acc, Gen)
structural
inherent
under government
assigned by ... (finite I, transV, P)
expression of theta-role...
ECM? If so, explain why.
NP Ann-- structural Nominative
assigned by finite I -s under gov.
NP John-- structural Accusative
assigned by transitive V want
under gov. ECM: NP John is the specifier of the non-finite (infinitival) IP. But the non-finite I
is a weak governor and fails to assign structural Nom. to its subject. Also, the maximal
projection of the weak governor, the non-finite IP, is not barrier to outside government.
Therefore V want governs and assigns str. Acc to the subject of the infinitival clause NP John.
1. Ann wants John to drive her friends car.
Consider the example below. How do the NPs acquire case?
NP
case (Nom, Acc, Gen)
structural
inherent
under government
assigned by ... (finite I, V, P)
expression of theta-role...
ECM? If so, explain why.
1. Ann wants John to drive her friends car.
NP her friends car-- structural Acc. assigned by transitive V drive
under government.
NP her friends-- inherent Gen. expression of the theta-role Possessor.
2.Marys grandmother did send Julian an invitation to her party.
NP Marys grandmother-- structural Nom.
assigned by finite I did under gov.
NP Marys-- inherent Gen. expression of the theta-role Possessor.
NP Julian-- structural Acc. assigned by ditransitive V send under gov.
NP an invitation to her party-- inherent Acc.
expression of the theta-role Theme.
NP her party-- structural Acc. assigned by P to under government.
Consider the example below. How do the NPs acquire case?
3. The presentation of the mayors proposal impressed
the people in the audience.
NP the presentation of the mayors proposal-- structural Nom.
assigned by finite I -ed under gov.
NP the mayors proposal-- inherent Acc.
expression of the theta-role Theme.
NP the mayors-- inherent Gen.
expression of the theta-role Possessor.
NP the people in the audience-- structural Acc.
assigned by transitive V impress under gov.
NP the audience-- structural Acc. assigned by P in under gov.
Consider the example below. How do the NPs acquire case?
4. The teacher was eager for her students to read the Deans
speech.
Consider the example below. How do the NPs acquire case?
NP the teacher-- structural Nom. assigned by finite I was under gov.
NP her students-- structural Acc. assigned by prepositional
complementizer for under gov.
ECM: NP her students is the specifier of the non-finite (infinitival) IP. But the non-finite I
is a weak governor and fails to assign structural Nom. to its subject. Also, the maximal
projection of the weak governor, the non-finite IP, is not barrier to outside government.
The closest outside governor is A eager, but adjectives are not case-assigners in English.
Therefore, preposition for is inserted in the available lower CP system under the complementizer
node to govern and assign str. Acc to the subject of the infinitival clause NP the students.
NP the Deans speech-- structural Acc.
assigned by transitive V read under gov.
NP the Deans-- inherent Gen.
expression of the theta-role Possessor.
Consider the example below. How do the NP acquire case?
5. For John to have behaved so is unbelievable.
NP John-- structural Acc. assigned by prepositional complementizer
for under gov.
ECM: NP John is the specifier of the non-finite (infinitival) IP. But the non-finite I
is a weak governor and fails to assign structural Nom. to its subject. Also, the maximal
projection of the weak governor, the non-finite IP, is not barrier to outside government.
Preposition for is inserted in the available lower CP system under the complementizer
node to govern and assign str. Acc to the subject of the infinitival clause NP John.
Consider the examples below. How do the NPs acquire case?
6. Maria is fond of her husbands family.

7. George expects Peter to sell his bicycle by the end of the
month.

8. For an ex-president to support his wife in the election
would be surprising.
Further practice