Syntax VI

November 29, 2010

Announcements!• The time and place of the final exam will be:

• Craigie Hall C 105

• Wednesday, December 15th

• 8-10 am

• Also note: USRIs will take place at the end of class on Wednesday, December 8th.

Quick Write Greatest Hits

Quick Write Greatest Hits

An Earlier Quick Write• We looked at the grammaticality of the following

sentences:

1. Jack and Jill ran up the hill.

• 0 out of 68 disapproved.

2. Jack and Jill ran the hill up.

• 64 out of 68 disapproved.

3. Up the hill ran Jack and Jill.

• 2 out of 68 disapproved.

4. Jack and Jill ran up the bill.

• 15 out of 68 disapproved.

An Earlier Quick Write5. Jack and Jill ran the bill up.

• 24 out of 68 disapproved.

6. Up the bill ran Jack and Jill.

• 45 out of 68 disapproved.

• Note the following combination:

• Jack and Jill ran the bill up.

• *Jack and Jill ran the hill up.

• And also this combination:

• Up the hill ran Jack and Jill.

• *Up the bill ran Jack and Jill.

An Earlier Quick Write• It’s okay to move a PP to the front of the sentence:

• Up the hill ran Jack and Jill.

• But you can’t move just the P to the end of the sentence:

• *Jack and Jill ran the hill up.

• Note that “up” behaves differently in the other sentences:

• *Up the bill ran Jack and Jill.

• Jack and Jill ran the bill up.

• In the “bill” sentences, “up” is not a preposition, it’s a particle.

• …and it’s okay to end a sentence with a particle.

Back to InversionCP

C’

C IP

NP I’

Det N’ I VP

the N is V’

boy V

sleeping

• Rule: move the I head to the C node.

• This “inversion” rule creates a yes/no question.

• Note: the auxiliary verb moves from one head slot to another.

Inversion ResultsCP

C’

C IP

is NP I’

[+Q] Det N’ I VP

the N t V’

boy V

sleeping• The C slot has to be marked with a [+Q] (for “question”) to make this movement happen.

• …like the I slot being marked for tense.

The movement leaves a “trace” (t) behind in the I slot.

Wh-Movement

CP

NP C’

What C IP

did NP I’

Bart I VP

t V’

V NP

kick t

The Wh- particle moves from a non-head position to another non-head position.

(so it doesn’t cross paths with move #1)

Questions around the World• In other languages, questions can be formed by moving any verb (not just an auxiliary) to the front of the sentence.

• Dutch:

Femke leest veel boeken.

“Femke reads many books.”

• Q: Leest Femke veel boeken?

reads Femke many books

“Does Femke read many books?”

Wh non-movement• Some languages form Wh questions without moving anything.

• Japanese:

Taro-ga nani-o mitsuketa-no?

Taro-subject what found-question marker

“What did Taro find?”

• Swahili:

Ulipatia nani kitabu

you gave who a book

“Who did you give a book?”

Principles and Parameters• Language has universal features = principles

• Nouns, verbs, etc.

• Phrases with heads and complements.

• Individual languages have options = parameters

• Head-first or head-last?

• Wh-movement or no Wh-movement?

• Kids acquiring language get the universal principles for free;

• it’s part of Universal Grammar (UG)

• …but they have to figure out the “parameters” from what they hear in the world around them, as they grow up.