Evidence for Syntactic Constituents

(Based on Radford (1988), Chapter 2)

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’t stand elder sister .

Generalization

Only phrasal constituents (i.e. whole phrases) can undergo Preposing.

Coordination, 1

(3)

a.

John wrote to Mary and to Fred (= PP and PP )

b.

John wrote a letter and a postcard (= NP and NP )

c. * John wrote a letter and to Fred (= NP and PP )

d. * John wrote to Fred and a letter (= PP and NP )

Generalization:

Only identical categories can be conjoined, idiomatically.

Prof. Gert Webelhuth

Evidence for Syntactic Constituents[.5cm] (Based on Radford (1988), Chapter 2)

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Coordination, 2

(4)

a. Good linguists and philosophers are rare (N and N)

b. John is a very kind and considerate person (A and A)

c. There are arguments for and against this claim (P and P)

d. J.R. walks and talks like a true Texan (V and V)

e. You can bring these and those books (D and D)

f. He opened the door quite slowly and deliberately (ADV and ADV)

Generalization:

Only identical categories can be conjoined, idiomatically.

Prof. Gert Webelhuth

Evidence for Syntactic Constituents[.5cm] (Based on Radford (1988), Chapter 2)

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Coordination, 3

(5)

a. [ NP The man next door] and [ NP his wife] are very nice.

b. He is a [ AP very shy] and [ AP rather inarticulate] man.

c. He went [ PP to London] and [ PP to Paris].

d. He may [ VP go to London] and [ VP visit his mother].

e. John drives [ ADVP very slowly] and [ ADVP very carefully].

Generalization:

Only identical categories can be conjoined, idiomatically.

Prof. Gert Webelhuth

Evidence for Syntactic Constituents[.5cm] (Based on Radford (1988), Chapter 2)

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Proforms

Prof. Gert Webelhuth

Evidence for Syntactic Constituents[.5cm] (Based on Radford (1988), Chapter 2)

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Pronouns replace NPs

(6)

a. SPEAKER A: What do you think of [ NP the [ N guy] who wrote that unbelievably boring [ N book] on

Transformational Grammar] ?

b. SPEAKER B: I cant stand [ NP him] .

(7)

a. * What do you think of [ NP the him who wrote that unbelievably boring it on Transformational Grammar ?

b.

What do you think of [ NP him] ?

Generalization:

Only whole noun phrases can be replaced by personal pronouns.

Prof. Gert Webelhuth

Evidence for Syntactic Constituents[.5cm] (Based on Radford (1988), Chapter 2)

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there replaces PPs

(8)

a. SPEAKER A: Have you ever been [ PP to Paris] ?

b. SPEAKER B: No, I have never been [ PP there] .

Prof. Gert Webelhuth

Evidence for Syntactic Constituents[.5cm] (Based on Radford (1988), Chapter 2)

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do so replaces VPs

(9)

Lilly [ VP went home early] .

(10)

a. Sandy [ VP did so] , too.

b. Sandy will [ VP do so] , too.

c. Sandy might [ VP do so] , too.

Prof. Gert Webelhuth

Evidence for Syntactic Constituents[.5cm] (Based on Radford (1988), Chapter 2)

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(11)

a. [ NP Cars] can be useful.

b. [ NP Fast cars] can be useful.

c. [ NP Very fast cars] can be useful.

d. [ NP Those very fast cars] can be useful.

e. Do [ NP very fast cars/cars] turn you on?

(12)

a. I really enjoy [ NP very fast cars/cars] .

b. Im just crazy about [ NP very fast cars/cars] .

Prof. Gert Webelhuth

Evidence for Syntactic Constituents[.5cm] (Based on Radford (1988), Chapter 2)

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