Practical Grammar 4
Verbs and VPs
Next, we want to associate verbs and VPs with reasonable f-structures. As with NPs, we do this in two steps:
a. We add appropriate features to the lexical entries of verbs, and b. we add the correct annotation to the VP-rules, so that each node in the VP tree gets the desired f-structure.
Features of verbs
Let us look at the following sentences:
(1) I am happy. (2) They are happy. (3) I was happy.
Exercise
In the previous unit, we formulated the following annotated c-structure rule for combining a D and an N into NP:
1. NP -> D N
2. {
3. ↑=↓1;
4. ↑=↓2;
5. }
Let us now turn to the rule that combines a V and an NP into a VP:
VP -> V NP;
Exercise 4
A. State which feature the constrast between (1) and (3) motivates.
B. What are the possible values of that feature?
State which feature the constrast between (1) and (3) motivates. .
Check your answer
The feature is TENSE:
B. What are the possible values of that feature?
♣ Add the following test sentences to your grammar and tell the program that they are ungrammatical:
(1) *John [disappeared the hospital].
(2) *Martha [stayed the hospital].
(3) *Fred [resides].
(4) *Joe [saw Fred John].
(5) *John [sent Martha to a check].
(6) *We [gave Fred].
♣ Parse each sentence.
♣ Does the grammar make the right prediction?
♣ If not, formulate in grammatical terms what the problem seems to be.
The PRED feature and valence
Valence is the representation of the knowledge speakers have about what other kinds of constituents a word needs to combine with. You will remember from traditional grammar the distinction between intransitive and transitive verbs. These are just names for those verbs, respectively, which do not need a direct object (i.e. the verb disappear) and those which do (like see).
(1)
John disappeared.
[PRED 'DISAPPEAR<SUBJ>']
(2)
The bottle broke.
[PRED 'BREAK<SUBJ>']
(3)
Joe saw Fred.
[PRED 'SEE<SUBJ,OBJ>']
(4)
Alice broke the bottle.
[PRED 'SEE<SUBJ,OBJ>']
(5)
John sent Martha a check.
[PRED 'SEE<SUBJ,OBJ,OBJ-TH>']
(6)
We gave Fred a wastebasket.
[PRED 'SEE<SUBJ,OBJ,OBJ-TH>']
| PER | 3 |
| NUM | sg |
| DEF | - |