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== Complement Clauses ==
== Complement Clauses ==


<span style="color: blue>Exercise 8.1 (based on section 5.1 of the textbook)</span>
Next, we come to the exciting topic of complement (= subordinate) clauses. Here are two examples:


* Go to <span class="newwin">[https://xlfg.labri.fr/ https://xlfg.labri.fr/]</span>.
(1) Fred thought that Lilly disappeared<br>
* Open your latest grammar or start with a copy of Grammar5-Ex 7.3.
(2) Fred asked whether Lilly disappeared
* Add the words in the following sentences:


(1) Oscar thinks that Sarah likes musicals<br>
There is nothing really special about these structures. As with prepositional phrases, we need
(2) Oscar enquires whether Sarah likes musicals.


Implement the following:
# lexical items for the new verbs
# lexical items for the two complementizers ''that'' and ''whether''
# two new phrase structure rules.
 
We make the following assumptions:


# ''that'' and ''whether'' belong to the part of speech C (= complementizer).  
# ''that'' and ''whether'' belong to the part of speech C (= complementizer).  
# Complementizers head CPs.
# A complementizer combines with a following S to form another S.
# CPs take two daughers: a C and an IP. The two daughters are co-heads of the CP.
# The C and the lower S are co-heads of the upper S.
# You need to add a new VP rule which allows a VP to consist of a V and a CP. The CP bears the GF '''COMP'''.
# You need to add a new VP rule which allows a VP to consist of a V and an S. The S bears the GF '''COMP'''.
 
# Complementizers have no PRED value.
* Make any further changes that are necessary to obtain exactly the f-structure (10) on p. 101 for (1). For sentence (2), you should obtain an f-structure which is identical to that of sentence (1), with the exception that the CLTYPE of (2) should be INTER.
 
Check what your grammar predicts for the following examples:
 
(3) *Oscar thinks whether Sarah likes musicals
(4) *Oscar enquires that Sarah likes musicals
 
If your grammar licenses these examples, then add information to it that makes it impossible to derive a well formed f-structure for them.
 
Hint: think about the function of each of the complementizers!
 
== Collecting everything we have done so far in one grammar ==
 
<span style="color: blue>Exercise 8.2</span>
 
* Go to <span class="newwin">[https://xlfg.labri.fr/ https://xlfg.labri.fr/]</span>.
* Open the grammar ''Practical Grammar 7''. Except for test sentences, it is empty.
* Open xlfg again in a second browser tab by clicking on <span class="newwin">[https://xlfg.labri.fr/ https://xlfg.labri.fr/]</span>.
* Open your previous grammars in the second tab window and copy information from those grammars into ''Practical Grammar 7'' in the first browser tab until the grammar returns the expected result for all test sentences.
 
 
<!--
== The Difference between Defining Equations and Constraining Equations ==
 
There are several types of equations that can be used in annotations. So far, we have encountered the following two:
 
(1) ↑=↓1; <br>
(2) (↑ OBJ) =↓2;
 
These equations are both defining equations.
 
'''Defining equations''' add their information to an f-structure.
 
There is a second kind of equation, which we have not seen yet, but which you will need for the following exercise. These are called constraininig equations.
 
'''Constraininig equations''' test whether their information is contained in an f-structure. They do NOT add the information themselves.
 
Illustration:
 
Case 1:
 
Imagine you have the following defining equation:
 
(↑ TENSE) = pres;
 
* it turns the f-structure [] into the f-structure [TENSE pres], i.e. it adds its information to the f-structure.
* it turns the f-structure [TENSE pres] into the f-structure [TENSE pres], i.e. it adds its information to the f-structure. If the information was already there, the f-structure remains the same.
 
Case 2:
 
Now, imagine you have the following constraining equation:


(↑ TENSE) =<sub>c</sub> pres
<span style="color: blue>Exercise 9 </span>


* it marks the f-structure [] as ill-formed, since it does not contain the information TENSE pres, i.e. the constraining equation is a test on an f-structure.
1. Open Grammar Grammar 8<br>
* it marks the f-structure [TENSE pres] as well-formed, but does not change it.
2. Implement the analysis for sentences (1)-(2) as described above.<br>
3. Parse. Your output should look exactly like the output decribed in the document Exercise-9-expected-output.pdf on Olat.


When to use a constraining equation:
Note that the complementizers in (1) and (2) cannot be exchanged:


'''Constraining equations''' are used when one item depends on some other item's adding a particular piece of information to an f-structure.
(3) *Fred asked that Lilly disappeared<br>
(4) *Fred thought whether Lilly disappeared


=== The Syntax of Constraining equations in xlfg ===
The reason is that there is an incompatibility of clause type information in (3) and (4): the verb ''thought'' requires a declarative clause as its COMP, but
the word ''whether'' can only head interrogative clauses. In (4), we find the opposite incompatibility.


Since xlfg does not use subscripts, it uses "==" as constraining equations.
<span style="color: blue>Exercise 10 </span>


Illustration:
1. Add the feature CLAUSE_TYPE to the lexical entries that need it so that (3)-(4) are not accepted by the grammar for the reasons stated above, but (1)-(2) stay grammatical.<br>
2. Parse. Your output should look exactly like the output decribed in the document Exercise-9-expected-output.docx on Olat.


'''<span style="color: red>(↑ TENSE) =<sub>c</sub> pres</span>''' becomes '''<span style="color: blue>(↑ TENSE) == pres;</span>''' in xlfg.
-->
== Homework ==
<span style="color: blue>For next week, read pages 102-113 in the textbook.</span>




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Latest revision as of 05:28, 16 June 2026

Complement Clauses

Next, we come to the exciting topic of complement (= subordinate) clauses. Here are two examples:

(1) Fred thought that Lilly disappeared
(2) Fred asked whether Lilly disappeared

There is nothing really special about these structures. As with prepositional phrases, we need

  1. lexical items for the new verbs
  2. lexical items for the two complementizers that and whether
  3. two new phrase structure rules.

We make the following assumptions:

  1. that and whether belong to the part of speech C (= complementizer).
  2. A complementizer combines with a following S to form another S.
  3. The C and the lower S are co-heads of the upper S.
  4. You need to add a new VP rule which allows a VP to consist of a V and an S. The S bears the GF COMP.
  5. Complementizers have no PRED value.

Exercise 9

1. Open Grammar Grammar 8
2. Implement the analysis for sentences (1)-(2) as described above.
3. Parse. Your output should look exactly like the output decribed in the document Exercise-9-expected-output.pdf on Olat.

Note that the complementizers in (1) and (2) cannot be exchanged:

(3) *Fred asked that Lilly disappeared
(4) *Fred thought whether Lilly disappeared

The reason is that there is an incompatibility of clause type information in (3) and (4): the verb thought requires a declarative clause as its COMP, but the word whether can only head interrogative clauses. In (4), we find the opposite incompatibility.

Exercise 10

1. Add the feature CLAUSE_TYPE to the lexical entries that need it so that (3)-(4) are not accepted by the grammar for the reasons stated above, but (1)-(2) stay grammatical.
2. Parse. Your output should look exactly like the output decribed in the document Exercise-9-expected-output.docx on Olat.





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