Another look at PSRs: Intermediate Structure

1
Another look at PSRsIntermediate Structure

• Starting X-bar theory

2
Flat Structure

• NP?(D) (AP) N (PP)

3
Flat Structure

• I bought the big book of poems with the red
  cover not the small one with the blue cover.

4
Flat Structure

• I bought the big book of poems with the blue
  cover not the small one.

5
Flat Structure

• I bought this big book of poems with the red
  cover not that one.

6
N Structure
7
N rules

• NP ? (D) N
• N ? (AP) N or N (PP)
• N ? N (PP)

8
One-Replacement
Replace an N node with one
not N, not NP
9
One replacement
I want that big book of poems with the blue cover
not ...
10
Flat Structure in VPs

• VP? (AP) V (NP) (AP) (PP)

VP
AP V NP AP PP
sings
A N A P
NP
often opera loudly at
N
church
11

• John often sings opera loudly at church and Mary
  does so too.

12

• John often sings opera loudly at church and Mary
  frequently does so too.

13

• John often sings opera loudly at church but Mary
  rarely does so in the library.

14

• John often sings opera loudly at church but Mary
  rarely does so quietly in the library.

15
V Structure
VP
V
AP V
V PP
often
V AP
in church
V NP
loudly
sings
opera
16
V rules

• VP ? V (a vacuous rule)
• V ? (AP) V or V (AP/PP)
• V ? V (NP)

17
Do so replacement
replace a V node with did so (too)
18
John often sings opera loudly in church and/but
Mary ...
VP
V
AP V
V PP
often
V AP
in church
V NP
loudly
sings
opera
19
Further Evidence for V
VP
V
V PP
V Conj V P NP
and with
V NP
V NP
a fork
eats tosses
beans salads
20
Flat Structure in APs

• AP? (AP) A
• Tara is proud of Colleen
• Susan is angry about the presidents politics
• AP ?(AP) A (PP)

21
Flat Structure in APs

• AP? (AP) A (PP)

AP
AP A PP
angry
A P NP
very
about
school violence
22
Bob is very angry about school violence but less
so than he used to be.
AP
AP A PP
angry
A P NP
very
about
school violence
23
Bob is very angry about school violence but less
so about gun control.
AP
AP A PP
angry
A P NP
very
about
school violence
24
A rules

• AP ? A (a vacuous rule)
• A ? (AP) A
• A ? A (PP)

25
A Structure
AP
A
AP A
A PP
very afraid
of tiger
26
Flat Structure in PPs

• P ? P (NP)
• Tara is very in love with her boss
• PP ?(AP) P (NP) (PP)

ok, this only shows up with the idiom in love
and fixed expressions like it So Im giving you
a hokey story here.
27
Flat Structure in PPs

• PP? (AP) P (NP) (PP)

PP
AP P NP PP
in
A N P NP
very
love with
her boss
28
Mary was very in love with her boss, Susanna was
less so

• PP? (AP) P (NP) (PP)

PP
AP P NP PP
in
A N P NP
very
love with
her boss
29
Mary was very in love with her boss, Susanna was
less so with her husband.

• PP? (AP) P (NP) (PP)

PP
AP P NP PP
in
A N P NP
very
love with
her boss
30
P rules

• PP ? P (a vacuous rule)
• P ? (AP) P or P (PP)
• P ? P (NP)

31
P Structure
PP
P
AP V
V PP
Very
P NP
with her boss
in
love
Ok, Ill admit it, there is less evidence for
this one!!!
32
The New Rules (dont memorize these, we have a
ways to go yet)

• NP ? (D) N
• N ? (AP) N or N (PP)
• N ? N (PP)
• VP ? V
• V ? (AP) V or V (AP/PP)
• V ? V (NP)
• AP ? A
• A ? (AP) A
• A ? A (PP)
• PP ? P
• P ? (AP) P or P (PP)
• P ? P (NP)

YIKES! Is there a simpler way?
Are we missing any generalizations??
33
Generalization 1 3 types of rules

• For each major category there are 3 types of
  rules
• A rule that generates the phrase NP ?(D) N
• A rule that iterates N ? (AP) N
• A rule that introduces the head N ? N (PP)

34
Generalization 2 Headedness

• In each rule the only item that is obligatory is
  the item that gives its category to the node that
  dominates it
• NP ?(D) N
• N ? (AP) N
• N ? N (PP)
• There are no rules of the form NP ? V AP. (this
  is called endocentricity)

35
Generalization 3 Optionality

• With the exception of determiners (more on that
  in chapter 6), all non-head material is both
  phrasal and optional
• NP ?(D) N
• N ? (AP) N
• N ? N (PP)

36
Goals of X-bar theory

• Simplify the system of rules
• Capture intermediate structure
• Capture the cross-categorial generalizations.
• We will use VARIABLES to do this. A variable is a
  category that can stand for any other category.
• X, Y, W, Z are variables that can stand for ANY
  of N,V,A,P

37
The X-bar Rules

• Specifier Rule XP ?(YP) X
• Adjunct Rule X ?(ZP) X or X ? X (ZP)
• Complement Rule X ? X (WP)

where X can stand for any category (N,V,A,P). X
must be consistent through the 3 rules.
38
X-bar Structures
XP
X
YP
X ZP1
X ZP2
X WP
39
X-bar Structures
NP
N
YP
N ZP1
N ZP2
N WP
40
X-bar Structures
VP
V
YP
V ZP1
V ZP2
V WP
41
X-bar Structures
AP
A
YP
A ZP1
A ZP2
A WP
42
X-bar Structures
PP
P
YP
P ZP1
P ZP2
P WP
43
Summary

• Constituency tests show us there is intermediate
  structure in phrases. (evidence varies in
  strength)
• There are Cross-Categorial generalizations to be
  made
• 3 rules Specifier, adjunct, complement
• Headedness Endocentricity
• Optionality of modifiers

44
Summary

• X-bar rules
• Specifier Rule XP ?(YP) X
• Adjunct Rule X ?(ZP) X or X ? X (ZP)
• Complement Rule X ? X (WP)
• To do
• discuss the differences between the
  specifier/complement/adjunct rules
• Account for crosslinguistic variation
• tidy up some ugly loose ends (like the lack of
  motivation for the specifier rule, The fact that
  determiners arent phrases etc.)