SyntaxCoordination, substitution, movement

LING 200

Spring 2003Reading: Files 6.1, 6.5

Coordination test for constituency

Only identical categories, lexical or phrasal, can be conjoined.

• X X Conj X

• XP XP Conj XP

• Conj (= Conjunction) 'and', 'or', 'but', 'as well as’, etc.

Conjoined lexical categories

PP P NP

P Conj P Det N PP above and beyond the call P NP of N duty

Conjoined phrasal categories

NP NP Conj NPNP (Det) (Adj) N

NP[Adj[so-so] N[coffee]]

NP[Adj[excellent] N[desserts]]

They have NP[NP[so-so coffee] Conj[but] NP[excellent

desserts]].

Ungrammatical coordination

1. If conjoined elements do not belong to the same category:

write: V, ___ (NP) (PP)Julia wrote NP[a memo].

Julia wrote PP[to the dean].

*Julia wrote NP[a memo] and PP[to the dean].

Adj[Green] pickles are tasty.

N[Dill] pickles are tasty.

*Adj[Green] and N[dill] pickles are tasty.

Ungrammatical coordination

2. If conjoined elements are not constituents:

Julia wrote NP[a memo].

Julia wrote PP[to the dean].

*Julia wrote NP[a memo] and *[to the].

Coordination and constituency

Virginia loves syntax. Virginia listened enthusiastically. Virginia loves syntax and listened enthusiastically.

Conclusion: [loves syntax] and [listened enthusiastically] are the same kind of constituent (VP):

VP VP Conj VP V NP and V Adv loves N listened enthusiastically syntax

Coordination and constituency

• I wanted a dill pickle.• I wanted the same sandwich that Aixa bought.• I wanted a dill pickle and the same sandwich that

Aixa bought.

• Conclusion: [a dill pickle] and [the same sandwich that Aixa bought] are the same kind of constituent:

S NP VP N V NP I wanted NP Conj NP

Det N and NP S’ a dill pickle Det Adj N that S the same sandwich NP VP N V

Aixa bought

NP NP S’ (relative clause)

Coordination and constituency

Virginia wants dinner.Virginia wants Dave to start cooking. *Virginia wants dinner and Dave to start cooking. Conclusion: [Dave to start cooking] is not an NP

NP[dinner]

S[Dave to start cooking]

Summary of coordination test

• Only like categories can be conjoined.

• Coordination test reveals information about– whether a grouping of words is a constituent– what kind of constituent it is

Substitution test for constituency•Do you know Alicia? No, I haven’t met her yet.

Only constituents can be substituted for with shorter expressions.

•Words that substitute: pro-forms.

NP: substitute with pronoun

A: Old Betsy here just won’t start any more and my wife says to get her out of here.B: Why don’t you donate her?A: My wife?

•her is a pronoun (or anaphoric pronoun, or anaphor) that substitutes for the NP Old Betsy. The antecedent of her is Old Betsy.•pronominal substitution normally involves third person pronouns

Pronominal paradigms

subject object possessor

1sg I me my

2sg you you your

3sg he, she, it him, her, it his, her, its

1pl we us our

2pl you (guys) you (guys) your (you guys’s)

3pl they them their

PP: substitute with there

Last night Aixa dreamed that she went to the HUB, but she was the only one there.

Did you check on the zip disk for your file? Yes, and it wasn’t there.

Adjective Phrase: substitute with so

• Virginia is anxious for Dave to cook dinner and so am I.

• The students are tired of waiting for the projector to work. So are the TAs.

Sentence: substitute with it, that, so

•[p] and [ph] are in complementary distribution in English. Can you believe it? •[p] and [ph] are in complementary distribution in English. I don’t understand that. •Are [p] and [ph] in complementary distribution in English? Yes, I think so.

Verb Phrases and the substitution testVerb phrases: substitute with as, so, and so, do so: Joyce has studied Arabic, as has Julia.Joyce has studied Arabic, and so has Julia.Joyce has studied Arabic. So has Julia.

Joyce has studied Arabic, and Julia has done so as well.

If pro-forms substitute for constituents, then studied Arabic in has studied Arabic must be a constituent.

Verb Phrases and the substitution testJoyce is studying Arabic, and so is Julia.Joyce will study Arabic, and so will Julia.

VP (Aux) VPAux have, be, will, can/could, may/might,

will/would, shall/should

Joyce VP[Aux[is] VP[studying Arabic]],

and VP[VP[so] Aux[is]] Julia.

so substitutes for VP

Joyce VP[Aux[has] VP[studied Arabic]], and VP[VP[so] Aux[has]] Julia.

so substitutes for part of VP:*Joyce VP[[has]Aux [[studied]V [Arabic]NP]VP],

and VP[V[so] Aux[has] Stephen [Khmer]NP].

Some properties of Aux

positive negative negative (contracted form)

has studied has not studied hasn’t studied

is studying is not studying isn’t studying

will study will not study won’t study

studies *studies not *studiesn’t

1. Negation follows Aux:

Some properties of Aux

2. In yes/no questions, Aux is moved to the beginning of the sentence:

Is Joyce studying Arabic?Has Joyce studied Arabic?Will Joyce study Arabic? *Will study Joyce Arabic?

VP substitution test again

• pro-forms which can substitute for VP

Joyce Aux[has] VP[studied Arabic], VP[as] Aux[has] Julia.

Joyce Aux[has] VP[studied Arabic], VP[and so] Aux[has] Julia.

Joyce Aux[has] VP[studied Arabic]. VP[So] Aux[has] Julia.

Joyce Aux[has] VP[studied Arabic], and Julia Aux[has]

VP[done so] as well.

Aux has structure

Julia Aux[has] VP[studied Arabic],

and Joyce Aux[has] VP[done so] too.

Julia Aux[has been] VP[studying Arabic],

and Joyce Aux[has been] VP[doing so] too.

Julia Aux[must have been] VP[studying Arabic],

and Joyce Aux[must have been] VP[doing so] too.

The do so pro-form

Aux-less sentences • “Do-support”

Has Aux Lacks Aux

declarative Julia is studying. Julia studies.

negative Julia isn’t studying.

Julia doesn’t study.

yes/no question Is Julia studying? Does Julia study?

pro-form sentence Julia is studying Arabic, as is Joyce.

Julia studies Arabic, as does Joyce.

Do: Aux vs. V

do in do the homework

declarative Stephen did the homework.

negative Stephen didn’t do the homework.

yes/no question

Did Stephen do the homework?

Summary of substitution test

• Pro-forms can substitute for other constituents

• Substitution reveals information about constituency– There is a VP constituent.– There is an Aux constituent.

• Properties of Aux, do as Aux

Movement testOnly single constituents can be moved.

• In questions, Aux is moved to the beginning of the sentence.

Aux Modal have beModal will, can/could, may/might, will/would, shall/should, must

Modal vs. non-modal Aux

1. Non-modal Aux require special form of verb

BE+ -ing form (‘gerund’): ‘progressive’ constructionis going: present progressivewas going: past progressivewill be going: future progressive

HAVE + -ed form (‘past participle’): ‘perfect’ construction

has gone: present perfecthad gone: past perfectwill have gone: future perfect

Modal vs. non-modal Aux

2. Non-modals have 3.sg.present, infinitive, gerund, and past participle forms  has, to have, having, had is, to be, being, been Modals lack these forms:

*shoulds, *to should, *shoulding, *shoulded*musts, *to must, *musting, *musted

Joyce Aux[Mod[will] have] studied for it by then.[Will]Mod Joyce [have] studied for it by then?

Joyce Aux[Mod[will] have been] studying for it.[Will]Mod Joyce have been studying for it?

*[Will have]Aux Joyce been studying for it?

• In questions, the leftmost constituent of Aux is moved to the beginning of the sentence.

More on Aux movement in questions• In questions, the leftmost constituent of Aux is moved to

the beginning of the sentence.

• What about:

– The person who is studying Arabic has left the room.– *Is the person who studying Arabic has left the room?– Has the person who is studying Arabic left the room?

• Which Aux?– The person who is studying Arabic has left the room.

1 2

The (subject) NP constituent

• In questions, the leftmost constituent of the Aux which follows the subject NP is moved to the beginning of the sentence.

• [The person who is studying Arabic]NP [[has]Aux [left the room]VP]VP.

Summary

• Tests for constituency– Coordination test: only constituents of same

category can be conjoined– Substitution test: pro-forms can substitute for

constituents– Movement test: only constituents can be

moved

• Constituents– VP, Aux, Subject NP