https://www.english-linguistics.de/grammarparadise/wiki/index.php?action=history&feed=atom&title=Practical_Grammar_Evidence_for_Syntactic_ConstituentsPractical Grammar Evidence for Syntactic Constituents - Revision history2026-04-10T12:48:15ZRevision history for this page on the wikiMediaWiki 1.39.12https://www.english-linguistics.de/grammarparadise/wiki/index.php?title=Practical_Grammar_Evidence_for_Syntactic_Constituents&diff=5631&oldid=prevGert: Created page with "Evidence for Syntactic Constituents (Based on Radford (1988), Chapter 2) Prof. Gert Webelhuth '''Prof. Gert Webelhuth''' '''Evidence for Syntactic Constituents[.5cm]''' '''(Based on Radford (1988), Chapter 2)''' '''1 / 1''' ---- Preposing (1) I cant stand your elder sister . (2) a. Your elder sister I can’t stand. b. * Your elder I can’t stand sister . c. * Elder sister I can’t stand your . d. * Sister I can’t stand your elder . e. * Your I can..."2025-10-15T07:29:44Z<p>Created page with "Evidence for Syntactic Constituents (Based on Radford (1988), Chapter 2) Prof. Gert Webelhuth '''Prof. Gert Webelhuth''' '''Evidence for Syntactic Constituents[.5cm]''' '''(Based on Radford (1988), Chapter 2)''' '''1 / 1''' ---- Preposing (1) I cant stand your elder sister . (2) a. Your elder sister I can’t stand. b. * Your elder I can’t stand sister . c. * Elder sister I can’t stand your . d. * Sister I can’t stand your elder . e. * Your I can..."</p>
<p><b>New page</b></p><div>Evidence for Syntactic Constituents<br />
<br />
(Based on Radford (1988), Chapter 2)<br />
<br />
Prof. Gert Webelhuth<br />
<br />
'''Prof. Gert Webelhuth'''<br />
<br />
'''Evidence for Syntactic Constituents[.5cm]''' '''(Based on Radford (1988), Chapter 2)'''<br />
<br />
'''1 / 1'''<br />
<br />
<br />
----<br />
<br />
<br />
Preposing<br />
<br />
(1)<br />
<br />
I cant stand your elder sister .<br />
<br />
(2)<br />
<br />
a.<br />
<br />
Your elder sister I can’t stand.<br />
<br />
b. * Your elder I can’t stand sister .<br />
<br />
c. * Elder sister I can’t stand your .<br />
<br />
d. * Sister I can’t stand your elder .<br />
<br />
e. * Your I can’t stand elder sister .<br />
<br />
Generalization:<br />
<br />
'''Only phrasal constituents (i.e. whole phrases) can undergo Preposing.'''<br />
<br />
'''Prof. Gert Webelhuth'''<br />
<br />
'''Evidence for Syntactic Constituents[.5cm]''' '''(Based on Radford (1988), Chapter 2)'''<br />
<br />
'''2 / 1'''<br />
<br />
<br />
----<br />
<br />
<br />
Coordination, 1<br />
<br />
(3)<br />
<br />
a.<br />
<br />
John wrote to Mary and to Fred (= PP and PP )<br />
<br />
b.<br />
<br />
John wrote a letter and a postcard (= NP and NP )<br />
<br />
c. * John wrote a letter and to Fred (= NP and PP )<br />
<br />
d. * John wrote to Fred and a letter (= PP and NP )<br />
<br />
Generalization:<br />
<br />
'''Only identical categories can be conjoined, idiomatically.'''<br />
<br />
'''Prof. Gert Webelhuth'''<br />
<br />
'''Evidence for Syntactic Constituents[.5cm]''' '''(Based on Radford (1988), Chapter 2)'''<br />
<br />
'''3 / 1'''<br />
<br />
<br />
----<br />
<br />
<br />
Coordination, 2<br />
<br />
(4)<br />
<br />
a. Good linguists and philosophers are rare (N and N)<br />
<br />
b. John is a very kind and considerate person (A and A)<br />
<br />
c. There are arguments for and against this claim (P and P)<br />
<br />
d. J.R. walks and talks like a true Texan (V and V)<br />
<br />
e. You can bring these and those books (D and D)<br />
<br />
f. He opened the door quite slowly and deliberately (ADV and ADV)<br />
<br />
Generalization:<br />
<br />
'''Only identical categories can be conjoined, idiomatically.'''<br />
<br />
'''Prof. Gert Webelhuth'''<br />
<br />
'''Evidence for Syntactic Constituents[.5cm]''' '''(Based on Radford (1988), Chapter 2)'''<br />
<br />
'''4 / 1'''<br />
<br />
<br />
----<br />
<br />
<br />
Coordination, 3<br />
<br />
(5)<br />
<br />
a. [ NP The man next door] and [ NP his wife] are very nice.<br />
<br />
b. He is a [ AP very shy] and [ AP rather inarticulate] man.<br />
<br />
c. He went [ PP to London] and [ PP to Paris].<br />
<br />
d. He may [ VP go to London] and [ VP visit his mother].<br />
<br />
e. John drives [ ADVP very slowly] and [ ADVP very carefully].<br />
<br />
Generalization:<br />
<br />
'''Only identical categories can be conjoined, idiomatically.'''<br />
<br />
'''Prof. Gert Webelhuth'''<br />
<br />
'''Evidence for Syntactic Constituents[.5cm]''' '''(Based on Radford (1988), Chapter 2)'''<br />
<br />
'''5 / 1'''<br />
<br />
<br />
----<br />
<br />
<br />
=== Proforms ===<br />
<br />
'''Prof. Gert Webelhuth'''<br />
<br />
'''Evidence for Syntactic Constituents[.5cm]''' '''(Based on Radford (1988), Chapter 2)'''<br />
<br />
'''6 / 1'''<br />
<br />
<br />
----<br />
<br />
<br />
Pronouns replace NPs<br />
<br />
(6)<br />
<br />
a. SPEAKER A: What do you think of [ NP the [ N guy] who wrote that unbelievably boring [ N book] on<br />
<br />
Transformational Grammar] ?<br />
<br />
b. SPEAKER B: I cant stand [ NP him] .<br />
<br />
(7)<br />
<br />
a. * What do you think of [ NP the him who wrote that unbelievably boring it on Transformational Grammar ?<br />
<br />
b.<br />
<br />
What do you think of [ NP him] ?<br />
<br />
Generalization:<br />
<br />
'''Only whole noun phrases can be replaced by personal pronouns.'''<br />
<br />
'''Prof. Gert Webelhuth'''<br />
<br />
'''Evidence for Syntactic Constituents[.5cm]''' '''(Based on Radford (1988), Chapter 2)'''<br />
<br />
'''7 / 1'''<br />
<br />
<br />
----<br />
<br />
<br />
there replaces PPs<br />
<br />
(8)<br />
<br />
a. SPEAKER A: Have you ever been [ PP to Paris] ?<br />
<br />
b. SPEAKER B: No, I have never been [ PP there] .<br />
<br />
'''Prof. Gert Webelhuth'''<br />
<br />
'''Evidence for Syntactic Constituents[.5cm]''' '''(Based on Radford (1988), Chapter 2)'''<br />
<br />
'''8 / 1'''<br />
<br />
<br />
----<br />
<br />
<br />
do so replaces VPs<br />
<br />
(9)<br />
<br />
Lilly [ VP went home early] .<br />
<br />
(10)<br />
<br />
a. Sandy [ VP did so] , too.<br />
<br />
b. Sandy will [ VP do so] , too.<br />
<br />
c. Sandy might [ VP do so] , too.<br />
<br />
'''Prof. Gert Webelhuth'''<br />
<br />
'''Evidence for Syntactic Constituents[.5cm]''' '''(Based on Radford (1988), Chapter 2)'''<br />
<br />
'''9 / 1'''<br />
<br />
<br />
----<br />
<br />
<br />
(11)<br />
<br />
a. [ NP Cars] can be useful.<br />
<br />
b. [ NP Fast cars] can be useful.<br />
<br />
c. [ NP Very fast cars] can be useful.<br />
<br />
d. [ NP Those very fast cars] can be useful.<br />
<br />
e. Do [ NP very fast cars/cars] turn you on?<br />
<br />
(12)<br />
<br />
a. I really enjoy [ NP very fast cars/cars] .<br />
<br />
b. Im just crazy about [ NP very fast cars/cars] .<br />
<br />
'''Prof. Gert Webelhuth'''<br />
<br />
'''Evidence for Syntactic Constituents[.5cm]''' '''(Based on Radford (1988), Chapter 2)'''<br />
<br />
'''10 / 1'''</div>Gert