Scribd
Upload
27 views10 pages

Syntax Exercises

The document presents exercises analyzing the syntactic parameters set by a 24-month-old girl named Lucy in her utterances. Each example is compared to its adult counterpart to determine whether Lucy correctly sets the Head Position Parameter, the Wh-Parameter, and the Null Subject Parameter. The document includes specific examples and descriptive solutions for each exercise.

Uploaded by

Karina Estefania Mendez
Copyright
© © All Rights Reserved
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
Available Formats
Download as PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd
27 views10 pages

Syntax Exercises

The document presents exercises analyzing the syntactic parameters set by a 24-month-old girl named Lucy in her utterances. Each example is compared to its adult counterpart to determine whether Lucy correctly sets the Head Position Parameter, the Wh-Parameter, and the Null Subject Parameter. The document includes specific examples and descriptive solutions for each exercise.

Uploaded by

Karina Estefania Mendez
Copyright
© © All Rights Reserved
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
Available Formats
Download as PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd
You are on page 1/ 10

English

Syntax: An
Introduction
EXERCISES OF THE BOOK

Karina Estefanía Méndez Méndez


UNIT 1
Exercise 1.1
Below are examples of utterances produced by a girl called Lucy at age 24 months. Comment on whether Lucy
has correctly set the three parameters discussed in the text (the Head Position Parameter, the Wh-Parameter,
and the Null Subject Parameter). Solve them descriptively.

CHILD ADULT COUNTERPART Which parameter has Lucy set correctly?


SENTENCE
1. What ‘What are you doing?’ • The head parameter
doing? The head of a phrase (e.g. what) always precedes the
complement (e.g. doing).
• The WH parameter
The ‘wh-’ is moved to the beginning

2. Want bye- ‘I want to go to sleep’ • The head parameter


byes The head of a phrase “want” precedes the complement
“bye-byes”

3. Mummy go Mummy went to the shops’; • The head parameter


shops this was in reply to ‘Where did The noun ‘mummy’ is considered as the head of the phrase
Mummy go?’
4. Me have ‘Can I have a yoghurt?’ • The head parameter
yoghurt? The verb ‘have’ acts as the head of the phrase, then, the
phrase ‘me have yoghurt’ is considered as a ‘verb phrase’
5. Daddy doing? ‘What’s Daddy doing?’ • The head parameter
The noun ‘daddy’ acts as the head of the phrase, so, the
phrase ‘daddy doing’ is considered as a ‘noun phrase
6. Think Teddy ‘I think Teddy’s sleeping’; this • The head parameter
sleeping was in reply to ‘What do you the phrase ‘think’ is considered as a ‘verb phrase’
think Teddy's doing?’
7. What me What am I having?’; this • The head parameter
having? followed her mother saying ‘having’ is a verb which has the subject ‘me’ and ‘what’ as a
‘Mummy's having fish for complement.
dinner’ • The WH parameter

8. No me have ‘I’m not going to have fish’ • The head parameter


fish.
9. Where Daddy ‘Where’s Daddy gone?’ • The head parameter
gone? • The WH parameter

10. Gone office ‘He’s gone to his office’ • The head parameter
UNIT 2
Exercise 2.1

Exercise 2.1
UNIT 3
Exercise 3.1
UNIT 4
Exercise 4.1

You might also like