Linguistics 55						Spring 2009


Problem Set 12:  Impersonals in French
Due Monday, May 11

NOTE: This version lacks certain niceties, such as accent marks and other
diacritics.  If that bothers you, you can supply them.

BACKGROUND

In English the subject of the sentence cannot be omitted; it must be overt
(= pronounced).  Sentences like "Likes chocolate" are ungrammatical.  French
is similar;  the subject of the sentence must be overt:

(1)	Ils parlent Francais.
	`They speak[3p] French'

(2)	*Parlent Francais.
	(Speak[3p] French)


PART A.	PHRASE STRUCTURE BASICS

Using the examples below, propose a mini-grammar of French.  Write relevant
phrase structure rules, and state a morphological rule that describes (roughly)
how subject-verb agreement works.  Propose a Passive transformation to account
for (11)-(12).  Motivate everything in prose.  Then derive (8) and (11).

(3)	Il pleut.
	`It rains[3s]'

(4)	Le train passe.
	`The train passes[3s]'

(5)	Un train passe. 
	`A train passes[3s]' 

(6)	Les ouvriers sont venus.
	`The workers have[3p] come'

(7)	Beaucoup d' ouvriers travaillent dans cette usine.
	`Many (of) workers work[3p] in this factory'

(8)	Quelqu'un a mange.
	`Someone has[3s] eaten'

(9)	Quelqu'un a mange ce gateau.
	`Someone has[3s] eaten this cake'

(10)	Les gosses ont mange beaucoup de steaks.
	`The children have[3p] eaten many (of) steaks'

(11) 	Beaucoup de steaks ont ete manges par les gosses.
	`Many (of) steaks have[3p] been eaten by the kids'

(12)	Beaucoup d' uniformes ont ete fournies aux troupes.
	`Many (of) uniforms have[3p] been furnished to-the troops' 
		(aux = a `to' plus les `the')

THREE THINGS YOU SHOULD NOTICE: (i) For venir `come' and some other intransitive
verbs, the present perfect is indicated by the auxiliary etre `be' rather than
the auxiliary avoir `have'.  (ii) Past participles agree with the subject in 
number and gender.  (iii) Beaucoup d(e).  Feel free to treat beaucoup d(e) as
a D.  Of course, if you want to propose a more satisfactory analysis, you may.


PART B.	IMPERSONAL SENTENCES 

The examples below illustrate an impersonal construction in French.   

After carefully comparing these examples with the examples in Part A, write
a transformation to account for impersonal sentences.  Explicate every aspect
of your transformation carefully in prose.  Be sure to say how your analysis
accounts for the fact that (21-24) are ungrammatical.   Give a specific,
coherent comparison of your transformation and English There-Insertion.  Then
illustrate your analysis by deriving (20) and (25).

(15)	Il passe un train. 
	`There passes[3s] a train'

(16)	*Il passe le train.
	(There passes[3s] the train)

(17)	Il meurt un homme 
	`There dies[3s] a man'

(18)	Il est venu trois femmes.
	`There have come three women'

(19) 	Il travaille beaucoup d' ouvriers dans cette usine.
	`There work many workers in this factory'

(20)	Il mange beaucoup de linguistes dans ce restaurant.
	`There eat many linguists in this restaurant'

(21)	*Il mange ce gateau quelqu'un.
	(There eats this cake someone)

(22)	*Il mange quelqu'un ce gateau.
	(There eats[3s] someone this cake)

(23)	*Il a tue trois femmes Claude.
	(There have killed three women Claude)

(24)	*Il a tue Claude trois femmes.
	(There have killed Claude three women)

(25)	Il a ete mange beaucoup de steaks par les gosses.
	`There have been eaten many steaks by the children'



PART C

Can your new Impersonal transformation occur after Passive in the order of
rules?  Justify your answer with reference to specific examples.  Be sure to
give a relevant derivation.


PART D

Does Passive occur before or after subject-verb agreement in French?  Does
your new Impersonal transformation occur before or after subject-verb agreement
in French?  Use the examples in Part B and below to determine the answer.  Be
sure to justify your solution in prose with reference to specific examples.
Give a single complete ordering of these transformations and subject-verb
agreement.  Then derive (34).


(26)	Les gosses ont mange le steak.
	`The children have[3p] eaten the steak'

(27)	*Les gosses a mange le steak.
	(The children has[3s] eaten the steak)

(28)	Le steak a ete mange par les gosses.
	`The steak has[3s] been eaten by the children'

(29)	*Le steak ont ete mange par les gosses.
	(The steak have[3p] been eaten by the children)

(30)	Beaucoup de linguistes mangent dans ce restaurant.
	`Many (of) linguists eat[3p] in this restaurant'

(31)	*Beaucoup de linguistes mange dans ce restaurant.
	(Many of linguists eats[3s] in this restaurant)

(32)	Il mange beaucoup de linguistes dans ce restaurant.
	`There eats[3s] many linguists in this restaurant'

(33)	*Il mangent beaucoup de linguistes dans ce restaurant.
	(There eat[3p] many linguists in this restaurant)

(34)	Il a ete fourni beaucoup d' uniformes aux troupes.
	`There has[3s] been furnished many (of) uniforms to-the troops'

(35)	*Il ont ete fourni beaucoup d' uniformes aux troupes.
	(There have[3p] been furnished many (of) uniforms to-the troops)