Modern Grammar - Assignment 18 James Madison University

Instructions: This is practice with some new phrase structure rules that may be involved in building single clause sentences, most of which focus the broad patterns of adverbial modification. Think carefully and give everything your best shot. This assignment will be graded only as an acceptable or unacceptable effort.

1. Below is a single sentence containing three examples of an intensifier modifying an adjective phrase. The rule for this builds on top of the AP that the adjective builds by itself to make a bigger AP. So, the exact rule is the following: AP --> int AP
   
   • That very sweet, extremely gooey pastry has a quite unnecessary maple frosting.
2. As you will have seen in our text, an adverb phrase (AdvP) is built identically to an adjective phrase except, of course, by an adverb: AdvP--> Adv.
   The next couple sentences include an adverb phrase that either modifies a VP (this modification rule is VP--> VP AdvP) or comes before a full sentence and modifies that sentence (S--> AdvP S). Remember to apply the VP adverbial rule only after building the correct VP the verb in the particular sentence requires. Note too that in one of these example sentences, the adverb phrase has itself been modified with an intensifier (AdvP --> int AdvP)!
   1. She handed the bomb to the police carefully.
   2. Your new piano arrives very soon.
   3. Fortunately, we saved our receipts.
   4. Usually, the band turns up the volume on their speakers.
3. Now, below are examples where PPs play quite similar adverbial roles, in one case modifying a sentence, in another modifying a VP, and in a third, modifying an adjective phrase. The first two examples involve rules that exactly parallel the rules with AdvPs above: S --> PP S and VP --> VP PP. The third requires a rule where a PP modifies an AP that precedes it (AP --> AP PP). Notice that, unlike intensifiers, adverbial PPs come after the AP they modify.
   
   1. Doris sent you many messages on your birthday! (uses the rule for a PP to modify a VP)
   2. In my imaginary kingdom, the royal chefs invented a calorie-free chocolate. (An example with S --> PP S)
   3. The popular singer became confident about his career. (uses the rule for a PP to modify an AP)
4. Diagram each of the sentences below, which also give more practice with different basic VP structures. (Remember to keep watching for the particle vs. preposition distinction too!):
   
   1. We sent everyone the new schedule at your request.
   2. At your request, we sent the new schedule to everyone. (Notice that "to everyone" is not an adverbial PP; it is referring to the recipient!)
   3. He sent flowers to his grandmother on Tuesday after class.
   4. I called up NASA before the eclipse.
   5. One solitary candle flickered in the darkness.
   6. That cynical detective with the little notepad in his hands is unconvinced of our innocence.
   7. Surprisingly, many very interesting people work out at that small local gym.
5. Finally, this last new rule is not about adverbial modification, It is an odd rule that turns a whole noun phrase marked with possessive morphology into a determiner: det --> NP 's. (This is a rule that refers to a bound morpheme!) I suggest you always circle the 's on any noun that ends in this morpheme and then see if the NP that has possessive meaning is being used as the determiner for another noun that follows rather than as a subject, direct object, etc. by itself. In the first example below, both possessive NPs will be used as determiners. In the second example only one of the two will apply this rule...:) ) :
   
   1. My dear friend's aunt writes children's novels.
   2. Clara's bicycle is similar to her sister's.