• Author / Uploaded
• Ahlame Ousslim

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Syntax
Practice
Exercises
 Linguistics
201



 I.
Lexical
Categories
 Identify
the
lexical
category
of
the
underlined
word
in
each
sentence.
 
 1.a.
It
was
a
cold
and
dreary
day.
 


b.
I
can't
seem
to
get
rid
of
my
cold.
 
 2.a.
You
must
dry
cilantro
leaves
before
storing.
 


b.
The
dry
heat
of
the
desert
proved
to
be
deadly.
 
 3.a.
There
has
been
some
improvement
in
the
past
week.
 


b.
In
the
past,
there
has
not
been
much
improvement.
 
 4.a.
That's
a
promise.
 


b.
I
promise
to
take
you
to
the
zoo
tomorrow.
 
 II.
Phrasal
Structure
 For
each
of
the
following
phrases,
identify
its
type,
its
head,
and
any
specifiers
or
 complements.
(Remember
that
every
phrase
must
have
a
head,
but
that
specifiers
 and
complements
are
optional.)
 
 
 
 
 
 Specifier
 Head
 
 Complement

 Type
 
 Example:
the
rat
 
 the
 
 rat
 
 (none)

 
 NP
 
 1.
men
 
 2.
in
the
barn
 
 3.
really
mean
 
 4.
worked
at
the
station
 
 5.
extremely
boring
 
 6.
that
house
on
the
corner
 
 7.
never
walks
to
the
park
 
 8.
the
poem
about
love
 
 9.
seldom
smiles
 
 10.
swept
the
floor


Syntax
Practice
Exercises
 Linguistics
201



 I.
Lexical
Categories
 Identify
the
lexical
category
of
the
underlined
word
in
each
sentence.
 
 1.a.
It
was
a
cold
and
dreary
day.
 
 
 
 
 Adjective
 


b.
I
can't
seem
to
get
rid
of
my
cold.
 
 
 
 Noun
 
 2.a.
You
must
dry
cilantro
leaves
before
storing.
 
 
 Verb
 


b.
The
dry
heat
of
the
desert
proved
to
be
deadly.
 
 Adjective
 
 3.a.
There
has
been
some
improvement
in
the
past
week.
 Adjective
 


b.
In
the
past,
there
has
not
been
much
improvement.
 
 Noun
 
 4.a.
That's
a
promise.

 
 
 
 
 
 Noun
 


b.
I
promise
to
take
you
to
the
zoo
tomorrow.
 
 
 Verb
 
 II.
Phrasal
Structure
 For
each
of
the
following
phrases,
identify
its
type,
its
head,
and
any
specifiers
or
 complements.
(Remember
that
every
phrase
must
have
a
head,
but
that
specifiers
 and
complements
are
optional.)
 
 
 
 
 
 Specifier
 Head
 
 Complement

 Type
 
 Example:
the
rat
 
 the
 
 rat
 
 (none)

 
 NP
 
 1.
men

 
 
 
 
 men
 
 
 
 
 NP
 
 2.
in
the
barn
 
 
 
 
 in
 
 the
barn
 
 PP
 
 3.
really
mean
 
 really
 
 mean
 
 
 
 
 AP
 
 4.
worked
at
the
station
 
 
 worked
 at
the
station
 
 VP
 
 5.
extremely
boring
 
 extremely
 boring

 
 
 
 AP
 
 6.
that
house
on
the
corner
 that
 
 house
 
 on
the
corner

 NP
 
 7.
never
walks
to
the
park
 never
 
 walks
 
 to
the
park
 
 VP
 
 8.
the
poem
about
love
 the
 
 poem
 
 about
love
 
 NP
 
 9.
seldom
smiles
 
 seldom
 smiles

 
 
 
 VP
 
 10.
swept
the
floor
 
 
 
 swept
 
 the
floor
 
 VP


Syntax
Practice
Exercises,
part
2
 Linguistics
201



 Phrase
Structure
Trees
 
 Draw
tree
diagrams
for
each
of
the
following
sentences.
 
 1.
A
droid
walked
into
the
cantina.
 
 2.
Luke
might
sell
his
speeder.
 
 3.
The
jawas
always
hide
underneath
the
bed.
 
 4.
Leia
often
watches
the
sunset.
 
 5.
The
flight
through
the
asteroids
was
very
pleasant.
 
 6.
Yoda
seems
tired
of
fighting.
 


1. IP I’ I

VP

[+past]

V’ PP P’

NP

NP

N’

N’

Det

N

V

P

Det

N

A

droid

walked

into

the

cantina

2.

IP I’ VP V’ NP

NP

N’

N’

N

I

V

Luke might sell

Det

N

his

speeder

3. IP I’ I

VP

[-past]

V’ PP P’

NP

NP

N’

N’

Det

N

Qual

V

The

jawas always hide

P

Det

N

underneath

the

bed

4.

IP I’ I

VP

[-past]

V’

NP

NP

N’

N’

N Leia

Qual V often watches

Det the

N sunset

5. IP I’

Det The

NP

I

N’

[+past]

N walk

PP

VP

P’

V’

P through

Det the

NP

AP

N’

A’

N park

V was

Deg very

A pleasant

6. IP I’ I

VP

[-past]

V’ AP A’ PP P’

NP

NP

N’

N’

N Yoda

V A seems tired

P of

N fighting

Syntax
Practice
Exercises,
part
3
 Linguistics
201



 Draw
tree
diagrams
for
the
following
sentences.
 
 1.
The
jury
believed
that
the
defendant
was
guilty.
 2.
Sally
was
painting
a
house
by
the
sea.
 3.
James
can
play
the
piano
and
the
accordion.
 4.
Tom
wondered
if
the
Dinos
would
win
the
game.
 


1. IP I’ I

VP

[+past]

V’ CP C’ IP I’ I

VP

[+past]

V’

NP

NP

AP

N’

N’

A’

Det

N

V

C

The

jury

believed that

Det

N

V

A

the

defendant

was

guilty

2a. In this interpretation, the house is what is “by the sea”. Sally may be painting inside her bedroom in Calgary, though. IP I’ VP V’ NP N’ PP P’ NP

NP

N’

N’

N

I

V

Det

Sally

was

painting a

N

P

Det

N

house

by

the

sea

2b. In this interpretation, the act of painting is happening “by the sea”. The house in the painting might be in a forest or on a mountain, etc.

IP I’ VP V’

NP

PP

N’

P’ NP

NP

N’

N’

N

I

V

Det

Sally

was

painting a

N

P

Det

N

house

by

the

sea

3.

IP I’ VP V’ NP NP

NP

NP

N’

N’

N’

N

I

V

Det

N

Conj

Det

N

James

can

play

the

piano

and

the

accordion

4.

IP I’ I

VP

[+past]

V’ CP C’ IP I’ VP V’

NP

NP

NP

N’

N’

N’

N

V

C

Det

N

I

V

Det

N

Tom

wondered

if

the

Dinos

would

win

the

game