Modern Grammar - Assignment 17

James Madison University

Instructions: This assingment includes more practice with basic phrase structure rules for single clause sentences (with a few new details). It will be graded only as an acceptable or unacceptable effort.

Diagram each of the sentences below:

  1. One solitary candle flickered in the darkness.
  2. That cynical detective with the little notepad in his hands is unconvinced of our innocence.
  3. Surprisingly, many very interesting people work out at that small local gym. (First adverb at the front of a sentence, requiring the rule S --> AdvP S)
  4. A woman's home is her castle.
  5. He sent flowers to his grandmother on Tuesday after class.
  6. I called up NASA before the eclipse.
  7. The invading army's early arrival ruined the leader of the village's defensive plans.
  8. Aiming for the moon wastes ammunition. (This is your first example containing a gerund noun phrase. In this example, there is actually a regular N-bar rule that applies. Remember, however, that there are some specialized rules for gerunds that allow them to build N-bar constituents that parallel any VP constituent they could build as a Verb. In other words, every VP rule in English has an equivalent N-bar rule in which all the VPs and Vs become N-bars. You will need to consider that in the following example.)
  9. Frank enjoys sending his colleagues anonymous gifts. (FYI, the gerund NP here is the direct object of "enjoys."Also, remember to think about what VP rule would be used in the parallel VP in a sentence like "he sends his colleagues anonymous gifts.")
  10. That is the manager's assistant's parking space. (Recursive possessives...)
  11. We have rescheduled the meeting at your request! (This sentence requires you to think about and use a new rule for including auxiliaries in the parse. The rule just builds another VP level: VP --> aux VP)
  12. Undoubtedly, their becoming best friends might be possible in the future.(Notice that the gerund phrase here includes a determiner.)
  13. In my imaginary kingdom, the royal chefs have invented a calorie-free chocolate. (First example with S --> PP S)
  14. Flora was looking at the details of her contract with the company very carefully.
  15. The new magician did not seem too worried about his tricks.(One last new rule; the negator rule is just like the aux rule: VP --> neg VP)



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