reading quiz

  1. What type of constituent does one-replacement target?
    1. N’
  2. What type of constituent does do-so replacement target?
    1. V
  3. Which of the following is a property of the X-bar schema?
    1. binary branching
    2. iterative/self-recursive
    3. endocentricity
  4. Which of the following is an example of an intermediate projection?
    1. X’
  5. Which of the following is an example of a maximal projection?
    1. XP

X-bar theory

Motivation

It is possible to replace a group of phrases that do not form a constituent.

I bought the big [book of poems with the blue cover] but not the small [one].

Embedded tree structure

The “intermediate” N’ (en-bar) categories to explain conjoined subsequences of items with the sisters of the same mother.

Replacement types and rules

Nouns

One-replacement: Replace an N’-node with one.

Caveat:

\[\begin{eqnarray*} NP \rightarrow (D)\ N'\\ N' \rightarrow (AdjP)\ N'\\ N' \rightarrow N'\ (PP)\\ N' \rightarrow N\ (PP)\\ \end{eqnarray*}\]

Verbs

Do-so-replacement: Replace an V’-node with do so/do so too.

\[\begin{eqnarray*} VP \rightarrow V'\\ V' \rightarrow V'\ (PP)\\ V' \rightarrow V'\ (AdjP)\\ V' \rightarrow V\ (NP)\\ \end{eqnarray*}\]

AdjP

Is/Was-so-replacement: Replace an Adj’-node with is so/was so too.

\[\begin{eqnarray*} AdjP \rightarrow Adj'\\ Adj' \rightarrow (AdvP)\ Adj'\\ Adj' \rightarrow Adj'\ (PP)\\ Adj' \rightarrow Adj\ (NP)\\ \end{eqnarray*}\]

X-bar schema

All phrases appear to have heads.

The requirement is that phrases are headed are called endocentricity.

Non-heads are always phrases and optional in an X-bar rule.

Types of rules:

  1. Rules that introduce heads
  2. Rules that introduce recursive X’ constituents together with optional phrase adjunct
  3. Top level rules introducing the first X’

Complements, Adjuncts, Specifiers

Adjunct: sister to a single bar level and daughter of single bar level Complement: sister to a head and daughter of single bar level - ex for NPs this would be intro’d by the “of” preposition

Hence you can only have 1 complement as you can only have one X head in a XP.

Projections

Projection: All elements introduced (i.e. on the left side of a rule) within an XP.

Maximal Projection: The topmost projection in a phrase (XP).

Intermediate Projection: Any projection that is neither the head nor the phrase (i.e., all the X’ levels)

Principle of Modification

If a YP modifies some head X, then YP must be either a sister of

  1. X
  2. An (upwards) projection of X (X’, XP)