PART TWO: THE BASE

CHAPTER 6: X-BAR THEORY

1.

Complements vs. Adjuncts in NPs

a)
b)
c)
d)
e)

2.

[of flour] = complement

[with a glass lid] = adjunct
[of figurines] = complement; [in the window] = adjunct
[of Napoleon] = complement; [on the corner] = adjunct
[in the building] = adjunct; [with a broken pane]= adjunct

Adjectives
hot, red, big ,tiny, and ugly = adjuncts

3.

German Noun Phrases

1) It is similar to one-replacement in English by which an N node is elided or deleted.

2) It seems that mit Sahne (with cream) modifies the verb and not the NP Kuchen (cake).
Assuming this, the ambiguity only lies on the the subject NP. Each of the two possible
readings is represented by the following two trees:
a) i)

TP

NP

VP

Die
N

PP

AdjP

Adj

Adj
schlanke

NP

Frau aus

N
Frankreich

PP

NP

isst

P
P

N
mit
Kuchen

NP
N
N
Sahne

ii)

TP

NP

VP

Die
N

PP

AdjP

PP

NP

Adj

isst

Frau P
aus

NP

Adj
schlanke

P
P

N
mit
Kuchen

NP
N
N
Sahne

N
Frankreich

f)

TP
NP

D
Die

VP

AdjP
Adj

N
N
Koeningin

Adj
junge

V
liebte
PP

D
die

P
P
von

NP
N
N
Prinzessin

NP
N
N
England

3) von England is a sister to N, not N, so is a complement. Deletion of the bare noun is

impossible. On the other hand, aus Frankreich is sister to N and therefore an adjunct.

4. Complements and Adjuncts in VPs

a) [her pencils] is a complement, while [never] and [in the correct drawer] are adjuncts
b) [to New Mexico], [in the rain], and [last year] are adjuncts

5. Japanese
1)
2)
3)
4)
5)

o marks direct objects and ga marks subjects

SOV
Heads are preceded by complements
Heads are preceded by adjuncts
Heads are preceded by Specifiers

6)

TP
NP

VP

NP

V
mita

Toru-ga D
sono

N
AdjP

Adj

N
hon-o

Adj
akai
6. Parameters

Hiaki
Irish

Specifier
(YP) X
(YP) X

Adjunct
Both (Adv/Adj)
X (ZP)

Bambara
Hixkarayana
Swedish
Dutch
Trotzil

No evidence
X (YP)
(YP) X
(YP) X
(YP) X

X (ZP) agreed [to it]

X (ZP)
Both (AdjP/PP)
Both (AdjP/PP)
X (ZP), if the PPs are
adjuncts

Complement
(WP) X
No evidence (subject
between only comp: V
and O)
(WP) X
(WP) X
X (WP)
Both (VPs/PPs)
X (WP)

7. Trees
a)

TP

NP

VP

N
Abelard

PP

V
V
wrote

PP
NP

P
for

P
D
a

N
N
volume

P
NP
N

P
in

PP

NP
N

N
Heloise

P
P
of

NP

N
Latin

N
N
poems

Apart from this trees, there are other possible trees for this sentence: the PP [in Latin] can be
attached as an adjunct to the VP, the NP headed by volume ,or the NP headed by poems In addition,
the PP [for Heloise] can be an adjunct to any of these phrases not dominates by the phrase that the
PP [in Latin] attaches to.

b)

TP

NP

VP

PP

AdvP

Adv

armadillos

P
from

NP

PP

Adv
V
often destroy

NP

AdjP

AdjP

Adj

N
York

Adj

Adj
New

P
P
with

N
pillowcases

NP
D

their

N
anouts

Adj
old

CHAPTER 7: EXTENDING X-BAR THEORY TO FUNCTIONAL CATEGORIES

1.

SUBJECTS AND PREDICATE PHRASES

a) SUBJECT: The peanut butter - PREDICATE: got moldy

b) SUBJECT: The duffers swing - PREDICATE: blasted the golf ball across the green
c) MAIN CLAUSE SUBJECT: That Harry loves dancing
MAIN PREDICATE PHRASE: is evidenced by his shiny tap shoes
EMBEDDED CLAUSE SUBJECT: Harry
EMBEDDED CLAUSE PREDICARE PHRASE: loves dancing
d) SUBJECT: The Brazilians
PREDICATE: pumped the oil across the river
2.
a)

CLAUSE TYPES
MAIN CLAUSE: Stalin may think that Roosevelt is a fool.
Complementizer: 0;
T: may;
subject: Stalin;
finite
EMBEDDED CLAUSE: that Roosevelt is a fool.
Complementizer: that;
T:is;
subject:Roosevelt;

finite. Embedded
b)

MAIN CLAUSE: Lenin believes that Tsar to be a power-hungry dictator.

Complementizer: 0;
T: -s;
Subject: Lenin;
finite
EMBEDDED CLAUSE: the Tsar to be a power-hungry dictator .
Complementizer: 0;
T: to be ;
subject: the Tsar;
non-finite

c)

MAIN CLAUSE: Brezhnev had said for Andropov to leave.

Complementizer: 0;
T:had;
subject: Brezhnev;
finite
EMBEDDED CLAUSE: for Andropov to leave
complementizer: for
T: to
subject: Andropov
non-finite
MAIN CLAUSE: Yeltsin saw Chernyenko holding the bag.
Complementizer: 0;
T: -ed or [past];
subject: Yeltsin;
finite
EMBEDDED CLAUSE: Chernyenko holding the bag .
Complementizer: 0;
T: -ing;
subject: Chernyenko;
non-finite

d)

3. English THAT
sentence a: That is a Complementizer (that introduces an embedded clause)
sentence b: That is a Determiner given number agreement (that student/ those students) and a
Specifier ( to the left of the nominal head "student")

a)

TP
NP
N

T
T
-s

VP
V

N
Robert

V
think

CP
C'

C
that

TP
DP
D

D
0

T'
T
should
NP

VP

N
students

V
eat

DP
D
0

NP
N

N
asparagus

b)

TP

NP
N

T
T
-s

VP
V

N
Robert

V
think

CP
C'

C
0

TP
DP
D

D
that/0

T'
T
should
NP

VP

N
student

V
eat

DP
D
0

NP
N

N
asparagus

4. TREES
a)

CP
C
C
0

TP
DP
D

T'

D
The

NP

T
-ed

VP

AdjP

N'

AdvP

Adj

Adv

Adj

Adv
very

Adj
young

V'

N
child

V'

PP
PP

P
P
from

V
walk

DP
D

DP

to

D
the

NP

NP

N
store

N
school

b)

CP
C

C
0

TP
DP
DP

D
D
0

T'

NP

-0
NP

N
students

VP
V
V

DP

like

DP

N
Linguistics

D
D
0

NP

N 0

N
tutorials

N
phonetics

c)

CP
C
C
0

TP
DP

T'

D
D
0

VP

NP

V'
PP

N
N
John

V
paid

P'
P

DP

for

DP
D
D
a
D
a

NP

NP

N
head

N
dollar

PP
P
P
of

DP
D
D

NP
N
N
lettuce

d)

CP

C
C
0

TP

DP
D
D
0

T'
T
-0

VP

NP
N

V
V

AdvP
Adv

N
Teenagers

AdjP

Adv

drive

Adj

Adv

Adj
rather

quickly

10

e)

CP
C
C

TP

0
DP
D

D
0

T'
T

VP

NP

N
N
Martha

V
said

CP

C
C

TP

that
DP

T'
T

VP

V
-ed

NP
N

V'
V
love--

N
Bill
D
his

PP
DP

P
in

DP

NP
N
N
Cheerios

D
D
the

NP
N
N
morning

11

f)

CP
C
C
0

TP

DP

T'

D
D
0

NP

VP

-s

N
V
want

N
Eloise

TP
DP
D
D
you

T'
T
to

VP
V
V
study

DP

D
D
a

NP
AdjP

N'

Adj

N
language

Adj
new

CP
g)
C
C
0

TP

CP

T'

C
C
For

T
-ed

VP

TP
DP
D
D
0

V
T'

T
to

V
frighten
VP

NP

V'

PP

N
Maurice

DP

V
quarrel

P
with

D
0

NP
N

DP

N
Maggie

D
NP
D
0

Joel

12

h)

TP
DP
DP

T'
D'

T
will

VP

V
AdvP

NP

John

D
's

NP

Adv

V'
V
bother

DP

D
Adv
always

N
drum

D
me

5. TREES II
1)

a)

CP
C
C
0

TP
DP

T'

D
D
The

T
-ed
NP

VP
V

PP

V
AdjP

AdvP Adj N
child
Adv
Adj
very young

P
V
walk-

DP

PP P
to
P
P
from

D
D
the

NP

DP

D
D
0

NP

N
store

N
school

As for the rest of trees, you are on your own for the rest. Ask your tutor or professor at UNED if
you have any questions.

13

CHAPTER 8 CONSTRAINING X-BAR THEORY: THE LEXICON

1. IDENTIFYING THEMATIC RELATIONS
Part 1
a)

b)

c)

d)
e)

f)

Shannon: Agent, Source.

Dan: Recipeint (Goal).
email: theme
Jerid: Experiencer
[that Sumayya ] : Preposition
Sumayya: Agent
beef waffles: theme
him: Beneficiary
Stacy: Agent, Source.
A baseball: Theme
Yosuke: Goal (recipient?)
Jaime: Agent
jig: theme
Yuko: Agent
the pizza: Theme
a garlic clove: Instrument
It: none (expletive)
San Francisco: Location

14

Part 2
b)

CP
C

C
0

TP
DP
D
D
0

T
T
-s

VP

NP
N

V
V
think

CP

N
Jerid

C
C

TP
DP
D

T
T
-ed

D NP
0
N
N
Sumayya

VP
V
V

V
cook

PP
DP
D

D
some

P
P
for
NP
N

AdjP
Adj

DP
D
D
0
N
waffles

NP
N
N
him

Adj
beef

Nota : Here, English pronouns are N0s that appear as complements of D0. However, many linguists
analyse them as D0s. This is the case in one of our previous analyses. Both analyses are allowed.

15

c)

CP
C
C
0

TP
DP

D
D
0

T
0

VP

NP

N
N
Stacy

V
V
hit

PP
DP

D
D
a

P
to

DP

NP
N

D
D
0

N
baseball

NP
N
N
Yosuke

Please try to do the rest of the trees on your own. Dont hesitate to ask in the foro in case you have
doubts.
2. WARLPIRI
A--> location (ex: -ngka)
B--> goal (ex: -kurra)
C--> source (ex:-ngirli)
D agent (ex : ngku)
E--> location/path (ex: -wana)

3. THETA GRIDS
a) [The stodgy professor]i left with his teaching assistant.
leave
Agent
DP
i
16

b) [I]i played [a tune]j on my iPod

play
Theme
DP
j

Agent
DP
i

c)

[Molly]i gave [Calvin]j [a kiss]k

give
Agent
DP
i

Recipient
DP
j

Theme
DP
k

d) [Mercedes]i gave [a test]j [to the students]k in the lecture hall

give
Agent
DP
i

Theme
DP
j

Recipient
DP
k

e) [Pangur]i ate [a cat treat]j

eat
Agent
DP
i

Theme
DP
j

f) [Susan]i ate yesterday at the restaurant

eat
Agent
DP
i
g ) [Gwen]i saw [a fire truck]j
see
Experiencer
DP
I

Theme
DP
j

17

h) look at. The goal can be analysed as a PP.

i)

[Michael]i asked [a question]j

ask
Agent
DP
I

Theme
DP
j

j) [Adam]i asked [if [Hyacinth]k likes [pineapples]i ]j

ask
Agent
DP
i

Proposition
CP
j

k) It is sunny [in San Francisco]i.

be (sunny)
Location
PP
i
l) [I]i feel [it is unfortunate [that [television]l is so vulgar these days]k ]j.
feel
Experiencer
DP
i

Proposition
CP
j

(be) unfortunate
Proposition
CP
k
(be) vulgar
Theme
DP
l

18

m) [That [Angus]j hates [Sushi]k ]i is mysterious.

(be) mysterious
Proposition
CP
i
hates

Experiencer
DP
J

Theme
DP
k

4. SINHALA

1) and 2) THETA-GRIDS and THETA ROLES

1) and 2) THETA-GRIDS and THETA ROLES
a) kinwa

(Mami kawij kinwa)

Agent
i

Theme
j

b) kiwenwa (Mati kawij kiwenwa)

Experiencer
i

Theme
J

c) kataaw ( Lameai kataawj ahanwa)

Agent
i
d) henwa
Experiencer
i
e) nanwa

Theme
j
(Lameai kataaw j henwa)
Theme
j
(Mami naenwa)

Agent
i

19

f) nenwa

(Mai naenwa)

Experiencer
i

g)yanwa (Hm irida m mami kolmbj yanwa)

Agent
i

Goal
j

h) ywenwa (Hm irida m mai kolmbj yanwa)

Experiencer
i
i) adnwa

Goal
j
(Mallii nitrm adnwa)

Agent
i
j) dnw

(Malliti nitrm dnw)

Experiencer
i
k) baninwa (Mami untj baninwa)
Agent
Theme
i
j
l) bnenwa (Mati untj baninwa)
Experiencer
i

Theme
J

m) peenwa (Apiti panslj peenw)

Experiencer
i

3)

Theme
j

It attaches to definite expressions: definite nouns or pronouns

1) The theta role: mam is always related to the agent initiating or doing an action, mat however
is related to a non-volitional agent. However we keep using the term agent for these cases. In
some other clearer cases, it is related to the experiencer, an argument that feels or perceives the
action. (cf. question 3)

20

5.

THETA CRITERION
a) hates
Experiencer
DP
j

Theme
k

No theme DP, as required by grid

b)
c)
d)
e)
f)
g)
h)
i)
j)

No theta-role available for breadbox.

Give requires three arguments; only two in sentence.
Give requires three arguments; only two in sentence.
Place requires Agent DP, not in sentence.
Place requires Theme DP, not in sentence.
Place requires location PP, not in sentence.
No theta-role for fourth argument.
The rock cant be an animate Agent.
Placed requires a PP; no theta-role for third DP.

21