¡Descarga English Grammar: Understanding Subjects, Objects, and Verbs y más Apuntes en PDF de Idioma Inglés solo en Docsity!
PEC 1 - November 20th, 2016
(Note: pages correspond to 3rd^ edition of Downing’s English Grammar: A University Course****. Routledge)
1. Why do we tend to say: ‘It puzzled the children that they had to wash their hands
again’ rather than: ‘That they had to wash their hands again puzzled the children’?
a. Both structures are equally common.
b. Because of the informational and stylistic principle of ‘end weight’. *
c. Because subjects cannot be clauses.
d. Because the pronoun refers to known information, which always appears at the
beginning in declarative sentences.
(Chapter 2; point 5.1.2 Realisations of the subject: C. Anticipatory it+end-placed subject, page 44 of the 3 rd^ edition) b. This sentence is an example of an anticipatory it (syntactically and semantically empty) + end placed subject ( that they had to wash their hands ) In this way, a long and heavy subject is placed at the end, in accordance with the informational and stylistic principle of “end-weight” (chapter 6; point 30.3.2; page 234-5) c. Subjects can be clauses as in the example above. See other examples in page 44. d. The pronoun is is syntactically and semantically empty.
2. In what sense is ‘a lolly’ in: ‘I have a lolly’ a non-prototypical object?
a. The verb doesn’t passivize. *
b. There is no semantic relation between the object and the subject.
c. There is no semantic relation between the object and the verb.
d. The object does not pass the wh-cleft test.
(Chapter 2; point 6.1.2. Realisations of the Direct Object, page 49 of the 3rd^ edition) There are some common transitive verbs that take atypical direct objects. They include verbs such as have (they have two cars), cost (it cost ten pounds), lack (She lacks confidence), resemble (She resembles her elder sister), fit (Do these shoes fit you?), suit (That colourt doesn’t suit you), weigh (The suitcase weighs twenty kilos), contain (That box contains explosives), and measure (It measures two metres by three). These verbs don’t passivise. In passivisation, the direct object is the subject in the passive clause.
3. What is ‘asleep’ in ‘The baby feel asleep’?
a. A locative
b. A manner adjunct
c. A circumstantial complement
d. An attribute *
(Chapter 3; point 9.4.1 Verbs of being and becoming, page 83 of the 3rd^ edition) to feel is considered a verb of being, an intransitive verb (copular). Verbs of being are static and introduce current or existing attributes ( to be , seem )
4. How can we make a semantic-syntactic distinction in the complementation pattern of
‘He showed me a stamp’ and ‘He bought me a stamp’?
a. A semantic-syntactic distinction cannot be made in the complementation pattern of
either sentence.
b. Only the first sentence allows passivization.
c. Only the indirect object in the first sentence can turn into a prepositional complement.
d. The indirect objects would require different prepositions if turned into prepositional
complements. *
(Chapter 2; point 6.2.1 syntactic and semantic features of the indirect object, page 51- 2 of the 3rd^ edition) He showed a stamp to me --> recipient --> it receives the action of the verb He bought a stamp for me --> beneficiary --> it is the participant FOR whom the Agent intends to perform an action. In general, the recipient can be the subject in passive structures ( I was showed a stamp ), but no beneficiary, but it is possible in this case ( I was bought a stamp ).
5. Copular verbs are…
a. monotransitive
b. ditransitive
c. intransitive *
d. 'pure intransitive'
(Chapter 2; point 9.4 Subject-verb-complement of the subject, page 83 of the 3rd^ edition) Copular verbs are considered a kind of intransitive verb (no complementation) which link the subject with a complement which characterises or identifies the subject referent. The most prototypical copular verb is be , which can be followed by a wide range of adjectives and NGs. The reason is simple (Cs, attribute)
6. Which types of elements can be promoted to subject position in a passive sentence?
(provide the most complete answer)
a. The direct object, the indirect object and the locative complement. *
b. The direct object.
c. The direct object and the indirect object.
d. The direct object, the indirect object, the locative complement and the circumstantial
adjunct.
(Chapter 1; point 4.2.3 Ability to become the subject, page 37 of the 3rd^ edition) Objects can normally become the subject in a passive structure: The bomb killed the police - the police was killed by the bomb (Od as subject) I sent her an email - She was sent an email (Oi as subject) Passivisation can also promote to subjects NGs that are not objects: prepositional phrases that function as locative complement: Queen Victoria slept in this bed - This bed was slept in by Queen Victoria (LocC as subject)
10. What is the subtle difference between ‘I hate to comply with people’s demands’ and
‘I hate complying with people’s demands’?
a. None, both are identical.
b. The latter is preferred when referred to a prospective, future event.
c. The to-infinitive typically has a hypothetical meaning but in this sentence it
emphasizes a notion of habituality. *
d. The latter is preferred for a non-factual and habitual implicational meaning.
(Chapter 3; point 12.2 Meanings expressed by to-infinitive clauses, page 102 of the 3rd^ edition) c. to-infinitive clauses tend to evoke a situation that is potential (hypothetical) (p. 102) d. Non-finite - ing clauses as complements tend to express factual meanings (p. 104) (point 12.4.3 Potential and factual meanings contrasted: to-infinitive and - ing clauses; page 106) Because the to-infinitive looks forward to the event, it tends to be used when a specific occasion is referred to, often of a future or hypothetical kind. I like to go to Paris - It does not entail that I have been in Paris. I like going to Paris - it entails that I have been in Paris. For many speakers, however, the to-infinitive is a valid alternative in the expression of factual meanings, especially with a notion of habit : I like to cook for my friends.
11. What does the mobility of the particle in ‘Up they went without thinking about it
twice’ show?
a. That the Theme of that sentence is unmarked.
b. The different status of adverbial particles and prepositions in clauses with directional
meanings. *
c. That particle fronting is one of the tests that can be always performed on multi-word
verbs to discern it from a preposition.
d. The idiomaticy of the ‘verb+particle’ unit.
(Chapter 2; point 6.4.2 Differences between phrasal verbs and prepositional verbs, page 57- 8 of the 3rd edition) In “free” combinations in which the adverb particle is directional, this is analysed as complement, as in The rain came down (as opposed to phrasal verbs where the particle is usually analysed as part of the verb). In this case, the adverbial particle can be fronted ( Down came the rain ) for rhetorical purposes, and this mobility is a feature of Complements and Adjuncts. With non-directional meanings, the adverbial particle is inseparable from the verb, and can’t be fronted ( The car broke down - * Down broke the car ).
12. Which verb in the following sentence is NOT a catenative: ‘She began to consider
how to convince the others not to live that way?
a. consider
b. began
c. live *
d. convince
(Chapter 3; point 12.1 Catenative complements, page 101 of the 3rd^ edition)
A catenative verb is a verb that controls a non-finite complement. “Catenative” means “chaining” and reflects the way that the verb can link successively with other catenatives to form a chain. to consider how to convince the others not to live that way is the catenative complement of began. how to convince the others not to live that way is the catenative complement of consider. the others not to live that way is the catenative complement of convince.
13. What type of subordinate clause is there in ‘The teacher told the students how they
had to interpret the text’?
a. wh-clause *
b. non-finite clause
c. that-clause
d. indirect interrogative
(Chapter 3; point 11 Complementation by finite clauses, page 94- 5 of the 3rd^ edition) The embedded clause or subordinate clause, introduced by a complementiser (subordinator), functions as a non-prototypical direct object. a. wh-clause: what, where, how The teacher (subject) told (predicator) the students (Od) how they had to interpret the text (Object complement) c. that-clause: complementiser that d. Indirect interrogative - Ask where the station is (Where is the station?). The verbs ask, wonder, doubt, enquire, don’t know control indirect interrogatives.
14. What is the difference between an object complement and an object?
a. It is a mere terminological distinction.
b. Only the latter is required by the verb and its absence from the clause renders it
unacceptable in English.
c. Object complements encode constituents while objects provide complementation
patterns.
d. At a semantic level, the former are not participants. *
(Chapter 2; point 7.2 The complement of the object, page 63 of the 3rd^ edition) The Direct object (and the indirect object) encodes participants in transitive clauses (p.47). The complement of the object is the constituent that completes the predicate when certain verbs such as find, make and appoint lead us to specify some characteristic of the Direct Object. The Co is placed immediately after the Od. You (S) are making (P) me (Od) angry (Co)
15. What is the implication in cases of elliptic objects like in ‘One shouldn’t drink and
drive’?
a. The sentence is incorrect/ inaccurate in standard English.
b. The verb ‘to drink’ has a ditransitive (transitive/ intransitive) realization.
c. The presence of the direct object in transitive constructions is ultimately arbitrary.
c. A verbless clause.
d. A supplementive unit. *
(Chapter 1; point 2.4.1 Classes of clauses, page 14 of the 3rd^ edition) Supplementive units are NOT integrated into the main clause, as embedded units are, but add supplementary information. They are subordinate but not embedded. They are set off from the main clause by commas (as in the example above), or by a dash, and have their own intonation contour.
19. What type of adjunct do we have in ‘Linguistically speaking, that is accurate’?
a. An identifier.
b. Domain *
c. Evaluative.
d. An attribute.
(Chapter 2; point 8.2.5 Stance adjuncts, page 69 of the 3rd^ edition) Stance adjuncts express the speaker’s evaluation or comment on the content of the message, or the viewpoint adopted. Stance adjuncts are of different kinds: a. Epistemic - speaker’s opinion regarding the validity of the content. Obviously, he’ll rely on you even more. b. Evidential - it signals the source of knowledge or information. According to the weather forecast, there’s a hurricane on the way. c. Evaluative - attitudinal, reflecting the subjective or objective attitude of the speaker towards the content and sometimes towards the addressee. Unfortunately, our team didn’t win. (subjective) d. Style and domain style adjunct - speaker’s comment on the way she is speaking - Quite frankly, it seems to me a lot of bullshit. Domain adjunct - It signals from what viewpoint the message is oriented (technologically, legally, linguistically )
20. When is the preposition obligatorily stranded?
a. In subordinate clauses.
b. When the ‘Given Information-New Information’ principle is applied.
c. Never, preposition stranding is always optional.
d. In prepositional passive constructions. *
(Chapter 2; point 6.3.2 Stranding the preposition, page 54 of the 3rd^ edition) Stranded preposition = when the preposition stays close to the verb - The transport they rely on Non-stranded preposition = when the preposition is separated from the verb - The transport on which they rely. In passive constructions, the NG complement of the PP can become subject. The preposition is obligatorily stranded: I looked after my cat - My cat was looked after - *After my cat was looked
We can rely on Jane - it is Jane on which we rely - Jane can be relied on - *On Jane can be relied
