LING001 -- Homework 6b

(Due Wed. 11/5/2014)

For problems (1)-(4), use a syntactic constituenthood test (substitution, movement, short answers to questions) to determine whether the underlined words are a syntactic constituent. You must also indicate which type of constituenthood test you used to arrive at your answer. If you used substitution, indicate what type (pronoun, adverb,etc.) you used.

(1) Ophelia thinks that Othello will survive the war.

(2) The dog with the curly tail is chasing a car.

(3) John is excited about going to China.

(4) I've read that book.

The phrases in (5)-(10) are ambiguous -- that is, there are at least two alternative structures corresponding to two alternative interpretations. Use tree diagrams or parentheses to describe two plausible alternative structures, and explain briefly in ordinary language what the corresponding interpretations are.

(5) She spotted a man in the park with a telescope.

(6) Kim is a German history teacher.

(7) Police help dog bite victim. [Newspaper headline]

(8) Violinist linked to JAL crash blossoms. [Newspaper headline]

(9) We saw that gas can explode.

(10) I dedicate this book to my parents, Ayn Rand and God.