English 306A; Harris 1 Syntax Word patterns. English 306A; Harris 2 Syntactic arguments Syntactic form Linear Sentence patterns Grammatical roles Phrase

English 306A; Harris 1

Syntax

Word patterns


Syntactic arguments

Syntactic form• Linear Sentence

patterns• Grammatical roles• Phrase structure rules• Hierarchical structure

Syntactic functions• Event schemata• Semantic roles • “Energy” flow

N V

NP VP

S

Homer preens

Homer preensDOINGAgent: Homer


Linear Sequence

English basic sentence patterns (p.89)

V1

V2

V3

VCOP

VCOMP

VT-COMP

Intransitive TransitiveDitransitive CopulativeComplementTransitive-complement

1 argument (Subj)

2 arguments (Subj, DObj)

3 arguments (Subj, DObj, IObj)

2 arguments (Subj, Comp)

2 argument (Subj, Comp)

3 arguments(Subj, DObj, Comp)


S NP VP

Homer preens.

Homer loves his blanket.

Homer throws the dog a bone.

Homer is incredibly sexy.

Homer goes to the bar.

Homer throws a bone to the

dog.

V1

V2

V3

VCOP

VCOMP

VT-COMP

NPs VPs


S NP VP

Homer preens.

Homer loves his blanket.

Homer throws the dog a bone.

Homer is incredibly sexy.

Homer goes to the bar.

Homer throws a bone to the

dog.

V1

V2

V3

VCOP

VCOMP

VT-COMP

NPs VPs

NPs

AP

PPs


Basic English phrase structureS

NP

AP

PP

VP

NP VP

(Det) (AP)* N (PP)

(Deg) A

P NP

(Aux) V (NP) (NP) (PP)*VPCOP (Aux) VCOP

APNPPP


Phrase Structure Rules

X YX “is a” YX Y X precedes Y(X) X is optionalX*X iterates: 1 - ∞ XsX X or YY


S NP VP

Phrase Structure Rules

Hierarchy

Linear Sequence


Structural analysis

Adjective

blackboard

Noun

Noun

black boardN

NP

A

Lexical Syntactic

AP


Phrase structure

Syntactic analysis

N

NP

Det A

the black board

AP


Phrase structure

Syntactic analysis

N

NP

Deg A

the black boardvery

Det

AP


Homer is sexy

Sexy Homer


Linear Sequence

Sexy Homer

N VCOP Adj

Homer is sexy


Hierarchy

Sexy Homer

N VCOP Adj

NP

AP

VPCOP

Homer is sexy


Hierarchy

Sexy Homer

N VCOP Adj

NP

AP

VPCOP

S

Homer is sexy


Hierarchy

Sexy Homer

N VCOP Adj

NP

AP

VPCOP

S Copular verb phrase

Homer is sexy


Hierarchy

Sexy Homer

N VCOP N

NP

NP

VPCOP

S Copular verb phrase

Homer is a sexpotDet


Hierarchy

Sexy Homer

N VCOP N

NPPP

VPCOP

S

Homer is in troubleP

NP

Copular verb phrase


Linear Sequence

The preening Homer

Homer preens


Linear Sequence

The preening Homer

N V

Homer preens


Hierarchy

The preening Homer

N V

NP VP

Homer preens


Hierarchy

The preening Homer

N V

NP VP

S

Homer preens


Hierarchy

The preening Homer

N V

NP VP

S

Homer preens

Intransitive verb phrase


Linear Sequence

The loving Homer

Homer loves his blanket


Linear Sequence

The loving Homer

N V Det N



Hierarchy

The loving Homer

N V Det N

NP NP



Hierarchy

The loving Homer

N V Det N

NP

VP

NP



Hierarchy

The loving Homer

N V Det N

NP

VP

S

NP



Hierarchy

The loving Homer

N V Det N

NP

VP

S

NP


Transitive verb phrase


Linear Sequence

Homer’s eating habits

The big bald guy eats crap


Linear Sequence


N VDet NAdjAdj



Hierarchy


N VDet NAdjAdj

NPAP AP

NP



Hierarchy


N VDet NAdjAdj

VP

NPAP AP

NP



Hierarchy


N VDet NAdjAdj

NPAP AP

NP VP

S



Structural ambiguity

I saw the man from the store.

1. I was in the store, I looked out the window, and I saw the man: “from the store” modifies ‘saw’.

2. The man is associated with the store, and I saw him: “from the store” modifies ‘the man’.


Structural ambiguitySame linear sequence, different hierarchy


Pro

NP

V

VP

N

PP

S

P Det NDet


Pro V N P Det NDet

NP NP

NP

NPNP

VP

PP

S


Pro

NP

V

VP

S

Pro V

NP

NP

NP

VP

PP

S







Subject Object Comp. Subject Object


Patient PatientLocation


Sentences

Homer preens.Homer loves his blanket.Homer eats.Homer eats crap.The fat bald guy eats crap.The fat bald guy eats vast quantities of

artery-hardening crap.The fat bald guy throws the dog a bone.


Verbs


artery-hardening crap.The fat bald guy throws the dog a bone .


Arguments


artery-hardening crap.The fat bald guy throws the dog a bone.

V1

V2

V1

V2

V2

V2

V3


Sentences

Homer is sexy.Homer is a nuclear-plant operations

guy.Homer is in the kitchen.Homer goes to the bar.The collar belongs to Santa’s Little

Helper.Marge bakes a cake for Maggie.Bart throws a bone to the dog


Verbs

Homer is sexy.Homer is a nuclear-plant operations guy.Homer is in the kitchen.Homer goes to the bar.The collar belongs to Santa’s Little

Helper.Marge bakes a cake for Maggie.Bart throws a bone to the dog.


Arguments


Helper.Marge bakes a cake for Maggie.Bart throws a bone at the dog.

VCOP

VCOP

VCOP

VCOMP

V2

VT-COMP

VT-C0MP


Semantic roles



PatientEssive


Semantic roles



Patient Essive


Semantic roles




Patient Essive


Semantic roles




Agent Goal





Semantic roles

Patient Possessor


Semantic roles




PatientAgent Receiver


Semantic roles




PatientAgent Goal


Semantic RolesRole Definition

Agent The entity that performs the action

Patient The entity undergoing the action; the object of the experience

Experiencer The entity that experiences the state

Receiver The entity that receives something from the action

Essive Anything predicated by the (main) verb “to be”

Possessor The entity who possesses something.

Source The starting point for a movement

Goal The end point for a movement

Path The route over which movement happens

Time The time an event occurs

Location The place an event happens


Event schemata

BeingHappeningDoingExperiencingHavingMovingTransferring Com

plex

Sim

plex


Semantic RolesRole Event Schemata

Agent DOING, MOVING, TRANSFERRING

Patient BEING, HAPPENING, DOING, EXPERIENCING, HAVING, MOVING, TRANSFERRING

Experiencer EXPERIENCING

Receiver TRANSFERRING

Essive BEING

Possessor HAVING, TRANSFERRING

Source

MOVING, TRANSFERRINGGoal

Path

TimeALL

Location


Simplex event schemata

BeingHappeningDoingExperiencingHaving

E.g.s Homer is large.Homer is a safety inspector.Homer is in the shower.

Complemen

tsSubjects

Subject NP ≈ PatientComplement ≈ Essive

Essives

Patients

VCOP


Subject NP ≈ Patient

E.g.s Homer fell.Homer ages.Homer stumbled.



Subjects

Patients

V1




Subject NP ≈ Agent

E.g.s Homer eats.Homer yells.

Subjects

Agents

V1




Subject NP ≈ Agent(Object NP ≈ Patient)

E.g.s Homer eats.Homer yells. Homer catches Bart.Homer kissed Marge.

Subjects

Agents Objects

Patients

V1

V2

Subjects

Agents




Subject NP ≈ Experiencer(Object NP ≈ Patient)

E.g.s Homer laments.Homer loathes Flanders.Homer saw Chief Wiggum.

V1

V2


(Contrast: Homer watched Chief Wiggum.)



Subject NP ≈ Experiencer(Object NP ≈ Patient)

E.g.s Homer laments.Homer loathes Flanders.Homer saw Chief Wiggum.

Subjects

Experiencer

Objects

Patients

V1

V2


Subject NP ≈ PossessorObject NP ≈ Patient

E.g.s Homer has three kids.Homer has a keen sense of

smell.Homer has chicken pox.Homer owns a dog.Homer possesses a hatbox.



Subjects

Possesso

rsObjects

Patients

V2


Complex event schemata

Simplex occurrence (Happening or Doing) with explicit reference to motion.

Start = SourceEnd = GoalRoute = Path

MovingHappening/Doing

Transferring



Simplex occurrence (Happening or Doing) with explicit reference to motion.

Happening + Source/Path/GoalDoing + Source/Path/Goal

MovingHappening/Doing

Transferring



Happening + Source/Path/Goal

Subj NP ≈ PatientComplements ≈ Source, Path, Goal

MovingHappening

Transferring



Happening + Source/Path/Goal

E.g.s Homer staggered home.Homer staggered home from

Apu’s.Homer staggered home, down

the sidewalk from Apu’s.

MovingHappening

Transferring



Happening + Source/Path/GoalMovingHappening

Transferring

Homer staggered home, down the sidewalk from Apu’s.Patient SourcePathGoal



Doing + Source/Path/Goal

E.g.s Homer climbed out of the

window.Homer climbed up Mount

Splashmore from base camp to the summit.

Homer ran screaming across the back yard to Flander’s.

MovingDoing

Transferring



Doing + Source/Path/Goal

MovingDoing

Transferring

Homer ran screaming across the back yard to Flander’s.

Agent Path Goal



HavingMoving+MovingTransferring

A complex schema already

Happening or Doing

+ Source/Path/Goal

MovingDoing

MovingHappening



E.g.Bart found a wallet.Homer won $1.76 from the

Springfield Lottery Corporation.

Having MovingHappening+MovingTransferring

VT-COMP

V2



E.g.Homer won $1.76 from the SLC.

Possessor

GoalReceiver

Having:

Moving:Happening:

Possessor

SourcePatient

Patient

PatientPatient

Having MovingHappening+MovingTransferring

VT-COMP



E.g.Homer sold the dog.Homer sold the dog to Moe.

Having MovingDoing+MovingTransferring

VT-COMP

V2



E.g.Homer sold the dog.


Possessor Patient

Source Patient

Having:

Moving:

Agent PatientDoing:



E.g.Homer sold the dog to Moe.


Possessor Patient

Source Patient

Having:

Moving:

Agent PatientDoing:

Possessor

Goal

Receiver



E.g.Homer sold Moe the dog.


Possessor Patient

Source Patient

Having:

Moving:

Agent PatientDoing:

Possessor

Goal

Receiver



E.g.Homer told his wife a story.


Possessor Patient

Source Patient

Having:

Moving:

Agent PatientDoing:

Possessor

Goal

Receiver


Homer sold Moe the dog. Homer sold the dog to Moe.

VT-COMPV3

N V Det N

NP

VP

S

Homer sold Moe the dog Homer sold the dog to Moe

N

NP NP

N V Det N

NP

VP

S

N

NPNP

P

PP

Transferring

Subject D-ObjectI-Object Subject CompD-ObjectPossessor Patient

Source PatientAgent Patient

PossessorGoal

Receiver

Possessor PatientSource PatientAgent Patient

PossessorGoal

Receiver


Syntax

The sentencethe verb and its argumentsthe subject and the predicate phrase

Event schematasimplexcomplex (simplex + relocation)semantic roles

Documents

English 306A; Harris 1 Syntax Word patterns. English 306A; Harris 2 Syntactic arguments Syntactic form Linear Sentence patterns Grammatical roles Phrase