126 Cross-Categorial Generalisations: X-bar Syntax

*7. The verb locate in English is transitive, and usually takes a Direct Ob-
ject that denotes a three-dimensional entity, as in the example below:

(i) The police located the driver.

The meaning of locate is nd the position, location of something. Give

the subcategorisation frame for the verb locate. We can also have (ii):

(ii) The police located the driver in the High Street.

Does locate in (ii) involve the same verb locate as in (i), or do we need
a dierent subcategorisation frame for this verb?

*8. Although X0 -syntax is a neat way of capturing similarities in phrase

structure, it is not always obvious whether we should treat a par-
ticular string of words in a phrase as a Complement or as an Adjunct.
In VPs the situation is usually fairly clear, in that Complements are
obligatory, while Adjuncts are not. Thus, using the omissibility cri-
terion, we can safely say that the postverbal NP in (i) below is a Com-
plement, because it cannot be left out, as (ii) shows:

(i) Pete encouraged his sister.

(ii) *Pete encouraged.

In phrases other than VPs, the situation is often more complex. In Sec-
tions 7.1 and 7.2 above I listed typical Complements and Adjuncts for
the dierent phrase types. Very often it is hard, if not impossible, to
decide whether a particular string of elements functions as an Adjunct
or as a Complement. The omissibility criterion sometimes works, as
in the AP in (iii) below, where clearly the PP must be a Complement,
because it cannot be left out. But sometimes it doesnt, as in the NP
in (iv), where the PP of biology can be left out, but is nevertheless
analysed as a Complement, because of the analogy with the verb
study, which takes an NP Complement (cf. He studies biology).

(iii) He is [AP keen on hot buns] (cf. *He is keen).

(iv) He is [NP a student of biology] (cf. He is a student).

Discuss the functional status (Adjunct or Complement?) of the

italicised words in the following phrases:

(v) I was assisted by [NP a man in a dark suit ].

(vi) They are [NP a family of four].
(vii) I am [AP glad that you are well ].
(viii) He is [AP extremely delighted about that ].