Linguistics 111						Spring 2012
Assignment 3						Due Monday, April 9

A.  Write out the current Phrase Structure Rules we are assuming for English
(as of Friday, April 6).  Assume that the lexicon contains all the Nouns, Verbs,
and Adjectives you know; but if you come across anything that is not a Noun, Verb,
or Adjective, try to decide what category it is and discuss it explicitly.

B.  For each of the following sentences,

	(a) Does the grammar generate it?
	    If so, draw the tree structure assigned by the grammar.

	(b) If not,
	    (i) propose and discuss a modification to the grammar
	        so that the sentence (and others like it) will be generated.
	    (ii) then draw the structure assigned by the revised grammar.

	(1) The hungry monkey in the cage ate a banana.
	(2) The hungry monkey put a banana in his ear.
	(3) The monkey sleeps in his cage.
	(4) White flowers turn brown in sunlight.
	(5) Those children make me crazy with their chatter.  
	(6) The flower in the pot on the windowsill turned brown.
	(7) The monkey ate the cover of the book in the cage.

C. What accounts for these facts?
(If you don't think our grammar accounts for these facts, say what would
need to be included in the grammar to account for them.)

	(8)  *The monkey put a banana.
	(9)  *The monkey put under the table.
	(10) *The monkey put.    
	
Compare these with 
 
	(8')  The monkey ate a banana.
	(9')  The monkey ate under the table.
	(10') The monkey ate.

	(8")  *The monkey slept a banana.
	(9")  The monkey slept under the table.
	(10") The monkey slept.

	(8'")   The monkey digested a banana.
	(9'")  *The monkey digested under the table.
	(10'") *The monkey digested.
	      
D. What are the structures that the grammar assigns to these sentences?

	(11) The monkey stabbed the man with a pitchfork.
	(12) The monkey stabbed the man with a pitchfork with a knife.

The grammar should explain the ambiguity in (11).