Introduction to Generative Grammar

Seminar 2: The structure of phrases:

the X-bar model.

Date: November 22, 2013
Instructor: Adriana Todea
Office hours: Friday 2-3 p.m.
Alpha Centre room
Using the X-bar model, draw the tree diagram of the following sentences:
1. My grandmother does read her letters in the pavilion by the river
every afternoon .
2. Mothers are proud of their sons.
3. The ship must sail for England before the monsoon sets in.
X
X
XP (X)
spec(ifier)
arg(ument)/comp(lement)
X
arg/ comp/ adjunct arg/ comp/ adjunct
arg(ument)/comp(lement)
spec(ifier)
either to the left or to the right
The X-bar model as a parameterized principle of UG
Universal Grammar
X
X
XP (X)
spec(ifier)
arg(ument)/comp(lement)
X
arg/ comp/ adjunct
X-bar model in a SVO Language
English
1. My grandmother does read her letters in the pavilion by the river every afternoon .
I
IP
I
does
[+T; +Agr]
NP
my grand-
mother
VP
V
V
NP
my grand-
mother
V
V
read
NP
her letters
PP
in the pavilion
by the river
NP
every
afternoon
delete
pronunciation!
Agent
Theme
Temporal
1. My grandmother does read her letters in the pavilion by the river every afternoon .
IP (sentence/clause)
I
I
does
[+T; +Agr]
NP
my grand-
mother
VP
V
V
V
V
read
NP
my grand-
mother
NP
her letters
PP
in the pavilion
by the river
NP
every
afternoon
delete
pronunciation!
1. My grandmother does read her letters in the pavilion by the river every afternoon .
IP sentence/ clause
I
I
does
[+T; +Agr]
VP
V
V
NP
V
V
read
N
N
grandmother
D
my
NP
N
N
letters
D
her
PP
P
in
P
NP
the pavilion
by the river
NP
N
N
afternoon
D
every
Location
1. My grandmother does read her letters in the pavilion by the river every afternoon .
VP
V
V
V
V
read
PP
P
P
in
NP
N
pavilion
D
the
N
PP
by the river
NP
every
afternoon
NP
her letters
NP
my grand-
mother
1. My grandmother does read her letters in the pavilion by the river every afternoon .
VP
V
V
V
V
read
PP
P
P
in
NP
N D
N
pavilion
the PP
P
by
P
NP
the river
NP
every
afternoon
NP
her letters
NP
my grand-
mother
Location
VP
V
V
V
V
read
PP
P
P
in
NP
N D
N
pavilion
the PP
P
P
by
NP
N
N
river
D
the
NP
every
afternoon
NP
her letters
NP
my grand-
mother
2. Mothers are proud of their sons.
I
IP
I
are
[+T; +Agr]
NP
mothers
AP
A
NP
mothers
A
proud
delete
pronunciation!
PP
P
P
of
NP
N
N
sons
D
their
Exp.
Stimulus
Goal
3. The ship must sail for England before the
monsoon sets in.
IP
I
I
must
[+T; +Agr;
+Mod]
NP
The ship
VP
V
V
V
sail
NP
The ship
delete
pronunciation!
PP
P
P
for
NP
N
N
England
CP
C
C
before
I
IP
I
-s
[+T; +Agr]
VP
V
NP
the monsoon
V
delete
pronunciation!
V P
set in
NP
the monsoon
Theme
Theme
Temporal
3. The ship must sail for England before the
monsoon sets in.
IP
I
I
must
[+T; +Agr;
+Mod]
NP
The ship
VP
V
V
V
sail
NP
The ship
delete
pronunciation!
PP
P
P
for
NP
N
N
England
CP
C
C
before
I
IP
I
-s
[+T; +Agr]
VP
V
NP
the monsoon
V
delete
pronunciation!
V P
set in
NP
the monsoon
Verb movement
set
Using the X-bar model, draw the tree diagram of the following sentences:
5. John thinks that Mary has bought that book.
6. The students were anxious to read the Deans speech.
7. Mary was anxious for her students to read the Deans speech.
8. Jane expects Mary to sing at the party tomorrow.
5. John-ga Mary-ga sono hon-o katta to omotteiru. (Japanese)
John
Nom
Mary
Nom
that book
Acc
. bought that thinks
John thinks that Mary has bought that book.
4. I wonder whether John has visited the house.
4. I wonder whether John has visited the house.
IP
I
I

[+T; +Agr]
NP
I
VP
V
wonder
NP
I
delete
pronunciation!
V
CP
C
whether
IP
I
VP
NP
John
delete
pronunciation!
C
V
visited
NP
John
I
has
[+T; +Agr]
V
NP
the house
Exp.
Stimulus
Agent
Theme
5. John thinks that Mary has bought that book.
IP
I
I
-s
[+T; +Agr]
NP
John
VP
V
think
NP
John
delete
pronunciation!
V
CP
C
that
IP
I
VP
NP
Mary
delete
pronunciation!
C
V
bought
NP
Mary
I
has
[+T; +Agr]
V
NP
that book
Exp.
Stimulus
Agent
Theme
think
delete
pronunciation!
Theme
IP
I
I

[+T; +Agr]
NP
John-ga
VP
V
omotteiru
thinks
NP
John
V
CP
C
to
that
IP
I
VP
NP
Mary
delete
pronunciation!
C
V
katta
bought
NP
Mary-ga I

[+T; +Agr]
V
NP
sono hon-o
that book
Acc
Exp.
Stimulus
Agent
5. John-ga Mary-ga sono hon-o katta to omotteiru.
John
Nom
Mary
Nom
that book
Acc
. bought that thinks
delete
pronunciation!
6. The students were anxious to read the Deans speech.
IP
I
I
were
[+T; +Agr]
NP
The
students
AP
A
anxious
delete
pronunciation!
A
IP
I
VP
NP
the
students
delete
pronunciation!
V
read
NP
the
students
I
to
[+T; -Agr]
V
NP
the Deans
speech
NP
The
students
delete
pronunciation!
Exp.
Stimulus
Agent
Theme
6. The students were anxious to read the Deans speech. IP
I
I
were
[+T; +Agr]
NP
The
students
AP
A
anxious
delete
pronunciation!
A
IP
I
VP
NP
the
students
delete
pronunciation!
V
read
NP
the
students
I
to
[+T; -Agr]
V
NP
The
students
delete
pronunciation!
NP
N
N
speech
NP
N
N
Deans
D
the
Poss./Ag
7. Mary was anxious for her students to read the
Deans speech.
IP
I
I
was
[+T; +Agr]
NP
Mary
AP
A
anxious
delete
pronunciation!
A
IP
I
VP
NP
her
students
delete
pronunciation!
V
read
NP
her
students
I
to
[+T; -Agr]
V
NP
the Deans
speech
NP
Mary
CP
C
for
C
Agent
Theme
Exp.
Stimulus
Location
8. Jane expects Mary to sing at the party tomorrow. IP
I
I
-s
[+T; +Agr]
NP
Jane
VP
V
expect
NP
Jane
delete
pronunciation!
V
IP
I
VP
NP
Mary
delete
pronunciation!
NP
Mary
I
to
[+T; -Agr]
AdvP
tomorrow
V
V
V
sing
PP
in church
Exp.
Stimulus
Agent
Temporal
8. Jane expects Mary to sing at the party tomorrow. IP
I
I
-s
[+T; +Agr]
NP
Jane
VP
V
expect
NP
Jane
delete
pronunciation!
V
IP
I
VP
NP
Mary
delete
pronunciation!
NP
Mary
I
to
[+T; -Agr]
AdvP
tomorrow
V
V
V
sing
PP
in church
expect
delete
pronunciation!
Verb movement
Using the X-bar model, draw the tree diagram of the following sentences:
1. Christina wants to know if the audience liked her interpretation.
2. Mary was adamant that she should accompany her daughter
at the party.
3. Mary was determined to accompany her daughter at the party.
Further practice