MOCK EXAM WITH KEY

1. Ambiguity (2 points). Each of the following bolded phrases in (a) and (b) is ambiguous.
Provide the TWO paraphrases, draw trees showing the different meanings and comment on
them. ecall that the two trees should be different from one another, where the difference
reflects which elements modif! what.
a. Peter teased the ct !ith stic"
b. The student li"es Eng#ish teche$s
#entence (a)$ the ct !ith stic"
(i) eading %$ &P

&'
&' PP
& (P P'
P (P
teased (' with
('

( )P ( )P
)' )'
the a
) )
cat stic"
(ii) *omment on eading % (including paraphrases)$
The tree diagram above gives us information concerning the first meaning of the e+ample (a).
,ere, the constituent -teased the cat with a stic". is a verb phrase (&P), whose head is the verb
-teased., which is followed b! independent constituents$ the (P -the cat. and the PP -with a
stic".. The following sentences are all variations or paraphrases of e+ample (a)$
With a stic", Peter teased the cat
The cat, Peter teased with a stic"
(iii) eading /$
&P
&'
& (P
teased ('
( )P'
the
)'
) PP
cat P'

P (P
with

('
( )P
a
)'
)
stic"
(iv) *omment on eading / (including paraphrases)$
The tree diagram above gives us information concerning the second meaning of the e+ample (a).
,ere, the constituent -teased the cat with a stic". is also a verb phrase (&P), whose head is the
verb -teased., but this time it is followed b! onl! one constituent$ the comple+ (P -the cat with
a stic"., whose )0head is the noun -cat. which is followed b! one constituent$ the PP -with a
stic".. The following sentence is a variation or paraphrase of e+ample (a) with this second
meaning$
0 The cat with a stic", Peter teased
Phrase in sentence (b) Eng#ish teche$s
(i) eading %$
(P
%d1P ('
%d1' ('
%d1
( )P
English
2 )'
)
teachers
English as %(3E*T4&E, %(35)*T
(ii) *omment on eading % (including paraphrases)$
The tree diagram above gives us information concerning the first meaning of the e+ample (b). 4n
this case, the constituent that follows the &0head -li"es. is a (P whose head is empt! and
whose )P complement is headed b! the noun -teachers. which is modified b! one constituent$
the preceding %d1P -English. which is attached to (' as an ad1unct. The following sentence is a
variation or paraphrase of sentence (b) with this first meaning$
0 The student li"es teachers from England
(iii) eading /$
(P
('
( )P
2
)'
(P )
(' teachers
( )P
)'
)
English