Practical Grammar 9: Difference between revisions

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Notation:
Notation:


The verb ''seem'' differes from the verb ''try'' in that ''seem'' does not assign a semantic role to its SUBJ. This is the first time we encounter such verbs. In XLFG, GFs that the predicate does not assign a role to are written between the closing '''>'' and the final apostrophe, as follows:  
The verb ''seem'' differes from the verb ''try'' in that ''seem'' does not assign a semantic role to its SUBJ. This is the first time we encounter such verbs. In XLFG, GFs that the predicate does not assign a role to are written between the closing '>'' and the final apostrophe, as follows:  


* PRED:'X<...>Y'  
* PRED:'X<...>Y'  

Revision as of 11:02, 1 February 2022

Functional Control

In this unit, we will extend the grammar to license sentences with verbs like 'try' and 'seems' which have interesting properties.

try (Control verb)

Notation:

In the exercises of this unit, we will have to implement Control: this means that a GF of the higher verb and the SUBJ of the higher verb's XCOMP are identical.

In XLFG, this is written as follows:

  • (↑SUBJ) = (↑XCOMP SUBJ); means: the SUBJ of the higher verb and the XCOMP's SUBJ are identical.
  • (↑OBJ) = (↑XCOMP SUBJ); means: the OBJ of the higher verb and the XCOMP's SUBJ are identical.

Exercise 9.1

  • Go to https://xlfg.labri.fr/.
  • Create a new project and copy your previous grammar into your new project.
  • On the basis of pages 102-103 in the textbook, make all the additions to the grammar that are necessary to yield the following outputs for sentence (1):

(1) Ingrid tried to buy olives.

Ingrid-tried-to-buy-olives-cs.JPG     Ingrid-tried-to-buy-olives-fs.JPG

Implement the following grammatical assumptions:

  • 'to' (the infinitive marker): assume that it is marked [IM:+].
  • 'buy': [VFORM:INF]

Make sure that your grammar makes the correct predictions for the sentences below:

(2) Ingrid buys olives
(3) *Ingrid tried buys olives

seem(Raising verb)

Notation:

The verb seem differes from the verb try in that seem does not assign a semantic role to its SUBJ. This is the first time we encounter such verbs. In XLFG, GFs that the predicate does not assign a role to are written between the closing '> and the final apostrophe, as follows:

  • PRED:'X<...>Y'

Meaning of the line above: the GFs listed in ... are assigned semantic roles by the predicate, but the grammatical function Y is not.

(4) Ingrid seemed to buy olives.

Exercise 9.2

  • Go to https://xlfg.labri.fr/.
  • Make sure that under 'Output Parameters' Extended Coherence test on Feature-Structures is set to Yes.
  • Create a new project and copy your previous grammar into your new project.
  • On the basis of pages 104-108 in the textbook, make all the additions to the grammar that are necessary to yield the following outputs for sentence (1):

Ingrid-seemed-to-buy-olives-cs.JPG     Ingrid-seemed-to-buy-olives-fs.JPG

Extended Coherence Condition [non-final version] (p. 138)

  • All governable functions present in an f-structure must occur in the value of a local PRED feature.
  • All functions that have a PRED value must have a theta role.