Syntax Jean Mark Gawron Linguistics San Diego State University [email protected] http://www.rohan.sdsu.edu/∼gawron Syntax – p. 1/32 Diagramming sentences I really do not know that anything has ever been more exciting than diagramming sentences. — Gertrude Stein S HH H VP NP H H Adj N V Corporate profits rose 1. S = Sentence 2. NP = Noun Phrase, N = Noun 3. VP = Verb Phrase, V = Verb Syntax – p. 2/32 More diagramming S H HH H VP NP H HH N V ADJP HH Stockbrokers were Deg Adj very happy 1. Adjp = Adjective Phrase, Adj = Adjective 2. Deg = “Degree” word (classically an Adverb) 3. VP = Verb Phrase, V = Verb Syntax – p. 3/32 Choices Which one is right? S S HH H HH H VP NP VP NP H H HH Adj N V Adj N V Corporate profits rose Corporate profits rose S S HH HH HH HH AdjP NP VP VP VP NP Adj N V V V N Corporate profits rose Corporate profits rose Syntax – p. 4/32 More complicated S HH HH NP VP H HH HH ADJP N Adv V profits suddenly rose H H Deg Adj very high Bad: Omit Head Good: Omit modifier * very __ profits suddenly rose __ high profits suddenly rose * very high profits suddenly __ very high profits __ rose * very high __ suddenly rose __ profits suddenly rose Syntax – p. 5/32 Heads/Modifiers/Phrases 1. very modifies high 1. very high modifies profits Adjp NP H H H H H Adv Adj Adjp N H H very high 2. Terminology (a) Head: high (b) Modifier: very (c) Adjective Phrase: high Deg Adj very high profits 2. Terminology very 3. The type of phrase is determined by the head (a) Head: profits (b) Modifier: very high (c) Noun Phrase: very high profits Syntax – p. 6/32 Revisiting S HH HH 1. A head together with its modifiers makes a phrase. NP VP H HH HH ADJP N Adv V profits suddenly rose H H Deg Adj very high 2. A subject (NP) and a predicate (VP) makes a sentence. Syntax – p. 7/32 Still more complicated S S H HH HH NP H HH HH H ADJP Adj N H H Deg Adj very high unexpected H HH H VP NP VP V H HH H V ADJP N H H returned Deg Adj returned profits profits very unexpected very high unexpected profits returned *very ___ unexpected profits returned very modifies Adjectives. very ___ unexpected profits returned Syntax – p. 8/32 Modifier/Head rules Modifier Head Example very Adj very unusual Phrase ADJP HH Adv Adj Deg Adj very unusual beautifully illustrated ADJP H HH very Deg Deg Adj beautifully illustrated very beautifully illustrated ?? very illustrated Syntax – p. 9/32 Modifier/Head rules Modifier Head Example very Adj very unusual Phrase ADJP HH Adv Adj Deg Adj very unusual beautifully illustrated ADJP H HH very Deg Deg Adj beautifully illustrated very beautifully illustrated ADJP H HH H ADVP Adj HH Deg Deg very beautifully illustrated ?? very illustrated Syntax – p. 9/32 Modifier/Head rules II Modifier Head Example Adv V currently working Phrase VP H H Adv V working currently Adj N beautiful book Adv V currently working Syntax – p. 10/32 Modifier/Head rules II Modifier Head Example Adv V currently working Phrase VP H H Adv V Adv V currently working working currently VP H H Adj N V Adv working currently beautiful book Syntax – p. 10/32 Modifier/Head rules II Modifier Head Example Adv V currently working Phrase VP H H Adv V Adv V currently working working currently VP H H Adj N V Adv working currently beautiful book NP HH Adj N beautiful book Syntax – p. 10/32 Choices revisited Which one is right? S S HH H HH H NP VP NP H H VP HH Adj N V Adj N V Corporate profits rose Corporate profits rose Syntax – p. 11/32 Choices revisited Which one is right? S S HH H HH H NP VP NP H H U VP HH Adj N V Adj N V Corporate profits rose Corporate profits rose d Corporate modifies profits. They should be a phrase. Syntax – p. 11/32 Choices II Which one is right? S S HH H H HH H NP VP H H Adj N V Corporate profits rose AdjP NP VP Adj N V Corporate profits rose Syntax – p. 12/32 Choices II Which one is right? S S HH H H HH H NP VP H H U Adj N V Corporate profits rose d AdjP NP VP Adj N V Corporate profits rose Corporate modifies profits. They should be a phrase. Syntax – p. 12/32 Choices III Which one is right? S S HH H H HH H NP VP H H Adj N V Corporate profits rose VP VP NP V V N Corporate profits rose Syntax – p. 13/32 Choices III Which one is right? S S HH H H HH H NP VP H H U Adj N V Corporate profits rose d VP VP NP V V N Corporate profits rose Corporate modifies profits. They should be a phrase. Corporate is an Adj. profits is a N.(in this sentence) rose is a N (in this sentence). Syntax – p. 13/32 Ambiguity Newspaper headlines (thanks to Chris Manning) 1. Ban on Nude Dancing on Governor’s Desk 2. Iraqi Head Seeks Arms 3. Juvenile Court to Try Shooting Defendant 4. Teacher Strikes Idle Kids 5. Stolen Painting Found by Tree 6. Local High School Dropouts Cut in Half 7. Red Tape Holds up New Bridges 8. Clinton Winds on Budget, but More Lies Ahead 9. Hospitals are Sued by 7 Foot Doctors 10. Kids Make Nutritious Snacks Syntax – p. 14/32 Syntactic ambiguity I S S H HH H H H H NP NP VP HH H H N N V NP VP H HH N NP V H H Teacher Strikes Idle N Teacher Kids Strikes Adj N Idle Kids 1. Ambiguous parts of speech (strikes, idle ) 2. Different modification relations Syntax – p. 15/32 Pure Structural ambiguity NP H H HH NP N PP Ban H HH HH P NP on HHH HH H Adj Nude N Dancing HHH HH HH H HH N Ban PP PP PP H HH HH H on HH on NP P HH NP P NP P HH H N N Governor’s desk Adj N Nude Dancing HH on N N Governor’s desk 1. No ambiguous parts of speech 2. No changes in word meaning (cf. Iraqi Head Seeks Arms ) 3. Just different modification relations 4. I shot an elephant in my pajamas. How he got in my pajamas I’ll never know! (Groucho Marx) Syntax – p. 16/32 Semantics of modification 1. The dancing is on the governor’s desk: nude dancing on teh governor’s desk is a phrase. Ban on NP HHH HH H N Adj Nude PP HH H Dancing NP P HH on N N Governor’s desk 2. The ban is on the governor’s desk: Nude Dancing on the governor’s desk is not a phrase NP HH HH HH HH HH N Ban PP PP H HH HH H NP P on NP P HH Adj N Nude Dancing HH on N N Governor’s desk Syntax – p. 17/32 Express the meaning I hate raw fish and onions. S H HH S NP VP N HHH H N I NP V HHH H I hate VP NP H HH H NP N raw fish V NP hate NP HH H Adj N raw H HH H Conj NP and N N Conj N onions fish and onions H H Adj H HH Syntax – p. 18/32 Express the meaning I hate raw fish and onions. S H HH S NP H HH H NP VP N HHH H N I NP V HHH H I hate NP N raw fish H HH NP V hate NP HH H Adj N raw H HH H Conj NP and N N Conj N onions fish and onions H H Adj VP I hate raw fish and I hate onions. Syntax – p. 18/32 Express the meaning I hate raw fish and onions. S H HH S NP VP N HHH H N I NP V HHH H I hate VP NP H HH H NP N raw fish V NP hate NP HH H Adj N raw H HH H Conj NP and N N Conj N onions fish and onions H H Adj H HH I hate raw fish and I hate raw onions. Syntax – p. 18/32 Draw the tree yourself Draw two trees for the following Noun Phrase Synthetic buffalo hides 1. Hides from synthetic buffalo 2. Buffalo hides that are synthetic This tree will be revised! Syntax – p. 19/32 Draw the tree yourself Draw two trees for the following Noun Phrase Synthetic buffalo hides 1. Hides from synthetic buffalo NP HH H NP N HH Adj N synthetic buffalo hides 2. Buffalo hides that are synthetic This tree will be revised! Syntax – p. 19/32 Draw the tree yourself Draw two trees for the following Noun Phrase Synthetic buffalo hides 1. Hides from synthetic buffalo 2. Buffalo hides that are synthetic This tree will be revised! NP HH HH Adj N N synthetic buffalo hides Syntax – p. 19/32 Complements and Specifiers X=N NP H HH XBar Schema Det N’ HH XP H HH H (Specifier) That X’ N PP picture P’ H HH X H H (Complement) Head P NP of N’ N Mary Trees Specifier that Head picture Complement of Mary Syntax – p. 20/32 4 kinds of Examples Head Part Of Speech Specifier Preposition (P) Preposition (P) [DEG right ] Verb (V) Head Complement Phrasetype in [NP the house] PP under [NP the porch] PP write [NP a letter] VP Verb (V) [A DV never ] answer [NP a letter] VP Noun (N) [DET a ] picture [PP of the ocean] NP pictures [PP of the ocean] NP afraid [PP of ducks] Adjp glad/sad [S that John left ] Adjp Noun (N) Adjective (Adj) Adjective (Adj) [DEG quite ] Syntax – p. 21/32 Fixes, Concepts Syntax – p. 22/32 Constituent Anything string of words that comes under a single label (called a node) in a tree is a constituent: S H HH NP VP HH N NP V H H John ate Det N the apple Constituents: John, ate, the, apple, the apple, ate the apple, John ate the apple Non constituents: John ate, John ate the, ate the. Syntax – p. 23/32 Merge We will have only one way of building phrases: Merging. Take two constituents: Put them together to make a phrase in accordance with Xbar theory. One constituent is a head, the other a modifier. So now we need LAYERS. Old New S S HHH H H HH HH H NP VP NP VP H HH HH H V N’ V returned HH HH returned ADJP Adj N unexpected profits H H Deg Adj very high ADJP N’ H HH A’ Adj N unexpected profits H H Deg Adj very high Syntax – p. 24/32 Deg Problem: Some adverbs behave differently (1) a. He was a very tired man. b. * He very works. c. He was too tired to speak. d. * He too worked (to have fun). Some “adverbs” only modify adjectives/adverbs/prepositions. We will call ALL modifiers of adjectives/adverb/prepositions Deg (for Degree). NP H HH HH N AP Det H H a Deg A very tired man Do this even for words that CAN modify Syntax – p. 25/32 Sentences have no heads We say the tense is the head. Old →New → S IP H HH H H HH H NP VP NP I’ H H H H H H H HH Det N NP V Det N the child H H the child reads Det N VP I HH -Pst NP V H H a book read Det N a book Syntax – p. 26/32 Sentences now have heads We say the tense is the head. A certain set of function words seems to be designed to ONLY have one tense: Modals: (will, would, might, shall, should, can, could, must, may) Old →New → S IP H HH H H HH H NP VP NP I’ H H H HH H H H HH Det N the child V VP HH may V NP Det N the child I VP HH may V H H read Det N a book NP H H read Det N a book Syntax – p. 27/32 Simplifying Trees The book does this: You can do this: NP NP H H H H Det N’ Det N the N the child child IP IP H HH H HH I’ NP I’ NP H H H H N’ I VP N I VP N +Pst V’ Children +Pst V Children V smile smile Syntax – p. 28/32 Movement Sometimes the trees we get from XBar theory don’t cover all the ground. We get modifiers separated from their heads. We explain this by movement. The existence of one kind of structure in the language IMPLIES the existence of another very closely related structure. Orig Implied Problem Someone stole the painting The painting was stolen t (by someone) Complement separated from head John leave. Should John t leave? Head separated from complement Who should John t give the book to t? Complement separated from head. should John should give the book to someone? Syntax – p. 29/32 Trees related by movement D-Structure for passives S-Structure for passives IP IP H HH HHH H NP I’ H HH I +Pst VP NP I’ HH H HH Det N H HH the VP V painting VP I H H +Pst V H HH be H H be NP V VP V NP stolen t HH stolen Det N the painting Syntax – p. 30/32 Movement Trees II D-Structure for passives S-Structure for passives CP CP C’ HHH HH H HH H C IP +Q H HH H I’ NP N Aristotle NP C’ H H HH H Det N which languages HH H I could C IP H HH could NP I’ HH VP N I H HH V Aristotle NP H H speak VP H H Det N which languages t V NP speak t Syntax – p. 31/32 Summary 1. Xbar theory provides the basis for a language universal approach to phrase-structure. 2. Structure is hierarchical: pharses inside pharses inside phrases S H HHH H NP VP H HH Det V N’ HH A appeared PP N H H picture P NP of N Mary 3. The structure is RECURSIVE: NPs can occur inside NPs, S’s inside S’s: (2) [S John believes that [S Mary is a fool ] . ] 4. There multiple .tree representations for a single sentences related by MOVEMENT. So there is more than LEVEL OF REPRESENTATION is syntax: deep (D-Structure) and surface (S-structure). 5. Does this remind you of anything in phonology? Syntax – p. 32/32
© Copyright 2024 Paperzz
