Syntax B	Winter 2009
Problem 4	Due Thursday February 5

WH Clefts

PART 0

Say clearly how (1) and (2) are analyzed according to our 
current assumptions.

(1)	What she bought is striped.
(2)	What she bought is chasing her around the room.

Now, say clearly how (3) and (4) are analyzed.

(3)	What she bought is unclear to me.
(4)	I wonder what she bought. 

PART 1

The sentences illustrated in (5-7) are called `pseudo-clefts' or
`WH-clefts'.

(5)	What I did was buy a zebra.
(6)	What she is is very tired.
(7)	Where the kids went was to the library.

It is usually assumed that this construction cannot
be given the same analysis as (1-2) OR (3-4).  Say what the basis
for this assumption might be.

PART 2

Propose an analysis of WH-clefts, taking into account the following:

(8)	What he likes to do is kiss monkeys.
(9)	What they want is to have control over the assignments.
(10)	All she did was wash herself.
(11)	What they wanted was to play tricks on each other.
(12)	What we weren't able to do was make any progress.
(13)	Where we didn't go was to any place interesting.

How many analyses does (14) have?

(14)	What she bought was a zebra.

PART 3

Explicate the following.

(15)	What all the children did is a mystery.
(16)	What the children all did is a mystery.
(17)	*What the children did is all a mystery.
(18)	What all the children did scared me.
(19)	What the children all did scared me.
(20)	*What the children did all scared me.
(21)	What all the children did was get in the tub at the same time.
(22)	What the children all did was get in the tub at the same time.
(23)	What the children did was all get in the tub at the same time.



PART 4

Now explicate the following.

(24)	What he is is important to him.
(25)	What he is is important to himself.
(26)	What they are doing is amusing them.
(27)	What they are doing is amusing themselves.
(28)	What Sally is is worth being.
(29)	What Sally is is proud.
(30)	What she was doing was washing her.
(31)	What she was doing was washing herself.

PART 5

Explain:

(32)	What John wants the company to do is fire him(*self).
(33)	What the company wants John to do is fire him(self).

PART 6

What does the following reveal?

(34)	What he is appears to be important to him.
(35)	What he appears to be is important to himself.
(36)	*What he is appears to be important to himself.
(37)	What he appears to be is important to him.
(38)	What they are doing appears to be amusing them.
(39)	*What they are doing appears to be amusing themselves.
(40)	What she is appears to be worth being.
(41)	*What she is appears to be proud.
(42)	*What she never wants to hear again appears to be any more cleft
		sentences.

PART 7

Investigate the usual questions about unbounded dependencies.