Read through all the question first
before attempting to answer. Some questions are related:
Sample Final Exam
Read through all the question first
before attempting to answer. Some questions are related:
I. What is linguistic performance and how does it relate to the infinite length of a sentence? Be precise. [10]. II. List at least four tests for syntactic constituency and give one example of each. [10]. III. What is the universal structure for a phrase? [5]. IV. What is the head of CP? of S? [5] V. What is the difference between a complement and a modifier? [10]. VI. What principle accounts for the following ungrammatical sentence?:
(1) *Othello drank the can in the very dark castle of beer. [5].
VII. Determine the correct form of (1). What is the relation of in the very dark castle to its head?, of of beer to its head? Identify the head of each of these two PPs. [10].
VIII. Draw a phrase marker in of the following sentences; circle the nodes that are sisters of each P: (You may abbreviate each NP and PP in (2b) and (2c) [35].
(2a) Patty very slowly ate the large piece of pie on the counter in the evening.
(2b). Lyle and Nadine rather intensely looked the number right up.
(2c). The student knows that syntax should have been very hard.
IX. Place subscripts on every node in (2b). [5].
X. Place brackets around the small clauses in the following sentences:
(3a) Hank found the needle in the haystack.(3b). Melissa considers us very wealthy.
(3c). Did you say that she heard us play at home?
(3d). Bing thinks those students who study syntax nuts.
(3e). Several students believe Hilary too hard on her class.