Linguistic grammar homework.
The noun phrase: introducers of np
Chapter 4
the noun phrase: introducers of NP
Determiners
Numerals
Quantifiers
Quantity without Q
Possessive NPs
WH- words
The noun phrase: Introducers of np
Determiners
Encode:
Definiteness
Indefiniteness
Number
Proximity (closeness)
(Questions: see 6: WH- determiners)
determiners
Definiteness:
A definite noun (phrase) is known to both speaker and hearer
Determiners
Definiteness
Example 1:
Context: Ann walks in and says to Bob:
“The student is outside.”
Bob assumes from Ann’s phrasing that she is referring to someone specific, and that he should know which student she means. (He has to use non-linguistic sources to figure out which student it is.)
Determiners
Definiteness
Example 2:
Same context: Ann walks in and says to Bob:
“The President is on TV right now.”
Bob assumes from Ann’s phrasing that she is referring to someone specific, and that he should know which person she means. (He has to use non-linguistic sources to figure out who it is—in this case, it’s probably not difficult.)
Determiners
Indefiniteness
An indefinite noun (phrase) is NOT assumed to be known to speaker and hearer.
Determiners
Indefiniteness
Example 1:
Context: Ann walks in and begins to talk to Bob:
“A student is outside.”
Bob assumes she will explain which student is outside.
Determiners
Indefiniteness
Example 1:
Context: Ann walks in and begins to talk to Bob:
“A president is outside.”
Bob assumes she will explain which president is outside. Since there aren’t usually lots of Presidents to choose from, this sentence is odd.
determiners
Number
Distinguish singular/plural
Examples:
A letter
Some letters / some writing
This letter
These letters
determiners
Proximity
Distinguish closeness to speaker or someone else; demonstratives
Examples:
This letter (close to speaker)
That letter (close to someone else)
These letters
Those letters
determiners
Summary
Encode:
Definiteness/indefiniteness
Number: singular/plural
Proximity to speaker/other
numerals
Encode:
Number
Indefiniteness
Sequence (order)
numerals
Number
Examples:
One frog jumped in the pond.
Ten frogs jumped in the pond.
numerals
Indefiniteness
Example:
Two frogs jumped in the pond.
The speaker and hearer are not assumed to know which particular frogs jumped in the pond, just how many did it.
numerals
Indefiniteness
Compare:
Two frogs jumped in the pond.
Those two frogs jumped in the pond.
numerals
Sequence (order)
Example:
The first frog jumped in the pond.
The second frog jumped in the pond.
Tells which frog based on its order relative to others:
Called ordinal numbers
Numerals: Phrase structure rule
NP
Det
Num
N
the
second
frog
NP (Det) (Num) N
NP
Det
N
a
frog
NP
N
frogs
numerals
Summary:
Numerals encode number
Numerals can encode indefiniteness
Numerals can encode order
Phrase Structure Rule:
NP (Det) (Num) N
quantifiers
What quantifiers “do” (in terms of meaning):
Pick out members of a set in ways other than by counting them
Examples:
Every student
Few students
No students
A student
quantifiers
Interpretation can be affected by other quantifiers
Example:
A chef appeared on every cooking show.
One chef appeared on all the shows.
Different chefs appeared on each show.
Quantifiers
Order of determiners and quantifiers
Det – Q:
the few tomatoes
the many chefs
Q – Det
all the stars
both the doctors
Order varies depending on the specific quantifier used
quantifiers
Phrase Structure Rule:
NP (Det)(Q) (Num) N
quantifiers
Summary
Quantifiers pick out members of a set
Quantifiers can be structurally ambiguous
Quantifiers can vary in their order relative to determiners
Phrase Structure Rule:
NP (Det) (Q) (Num) N
Quantity without q
Groups
Examples:
a gaggle of geese (a group of geese)
a herd of buffalo (a group of buffalo)
a school of fish (a group of fish)
Quantity without q
Analysis: complex Det
NP
Q
N
a gaggle of
geese
Quantity without q
Amounts
Examples:
a cup of sugar
a quart of milk
ten feet of lumber
Quantity without q
Summary:
Quantity can be expressed by complex phrases indicating a group or amount
Possessive np
What are possessive NPs?
Full noun phrases that introduce nouns
Examples:
[the Queen of England]’s crown
[four player]’s scores
Possessive np
Tree illustration:
NP1
NP2
N
NP2
N
four
player’s
scores
Possessive NP
What is the form of possessive NPs?
Can include all elements of a noun phrase
End with a genitive case marker: ’s
Represented with curly brackets:
NP
NP => ( ) (Q) (Num) N
Det
Possessive np
Properties of possessive NPs:
Are not determiners nor adjectives: are NPs
Determiners are words; Poss-NPs are phrases
Adjectives are words; Poss-NPs are phrases
Possessive np
Phrase Structure Rule for possessive NPs:
NP => { (Det) / (PossNP) } (Q) (NUM) N
NP
NP => ( ) (Q) (Num) N
Det
Possessive NP
Summary
Poss-NPs are introducers of NP
Form of Poss-NP
Internal structure is NP
Genitive marker is added
Poss-NPs are phrases, not rule
Phrase Structure Rule:
NP => { (Det) / (PossNP) } (Q) (NUM) N
NP
NP => ( ) (Q) (Num) N
Det
Wh- determiners
What are WH- determiners?
WH- determiners are interrogative (question) determiners
Wh- determiners
Properties of WH- determiners
Single words
Have same distribution as other determiners
Example:
[the books] arrived.
[which books] arrived?
Wh- determiners
Phrase Structure for WH- determiners
Appear in same position as other determiners:
NP => { (DET) / (Poss-NP) } (Q) (Num) N
Wh- determiners
Summary:
WH- determiners are a type of determiner
Interrogative
WH- determiners have same distribution as other determiners