Grammar and Structure

Discuss the derivation of the following sentences, showing how their structure is built up in a pairwise
fashion by successive binary merger operations.

*show how evidence from co-ordination and preforms can be used in support of your analysis. In
addition, say which constituents can and (cannot be) be proposed and why

2. She must be quite pleased to see you.

Projecting first the pronoun you as NP and tense/auxiliary to to its complement verb see derives a T-bar
forming to see, projecting again as an intermediate projection T-bar joining the NP you as the
complement of tense/auxiliary to or the T-bar to see as seen below

Merging the adjective pleased with the resulting T-bar (which is the complement of pleased) forms of
the intermediate adjectival projection (A-bar) pleased to see you in (iii) below:

Merging the A-bar in (iii) with the adverb quite which modifies pleased to see you forms an adjectival
phrase (AP) in (iv) below:

Merging the verb be with the AP quite pleased to see you as its complement forms the verb phrase (VP)
in (v) below:
Merging tense auxiliary (T constituent) must with its verb phrase complement be quite pleased to see
you derives an intermediate T-bar projection (vi):

This claims that co-ordination condition has been followed as italicized strings can be co-ordinated with
another similar (bold printed) is consistent that to see you is a T-bar, pleased to see you is an A-bar, quite
pleased to see you is an AP, be quite pleased to see you is a VP and must be quite pleased to see you is a
T-bar. Additional evidences shows support from the use of proforms so wherein quite pleased to see
you is its complement being a consistent AP. Under the preposing condition (for letters I,j,k,m,n) they
cannot be preposed for they are only an intermediate projection acting only as a complement of their
maximal projection like letter k pleased to see you cannot be preposed due to the fact that pleased to
see you (A-bar) is an intermediate projection or a complement of the adverb quite forming a maximal
projection of AP as quite pleased to see you. This sentence obeys the Headedness and Binary Principle
and so with Function Head Constraint (FHC)

3. He will need to ask for help.

Merging the preposition for with the noun help as its complement makes a prepositional phrase PP for
help (i) below:

Merging the verb ask to its complement PP for help derives VP as in ask for help as shown below (ii):

Merging the tense auxiliary to with the resulting VP ask for help as its complement forms a T-bar(iii):
Merging the verb need with the T-bar to ask for help which serves as the compliment of need forms a VP
(iv):

Merging tense auxiliary will with its verb phrase complement need ask for help forms an intermediate
projection of T-bar (v):

Lastly, merging T-bar in (v) with the pronoun as its subject/specifier will now derive the TP (vi):

The supporting analysis of (vi) comes from co- ordination in relation to sentences given (activity paper)
from letters a-e which shows consistency that they can be co- ordinated with a similar string as in letter
a as (i) is a PP for help; b (ii) ask for help is a VP; c (iii) to ask for help is a T-bar; d (iv) need to ask for help
is a VP; e (v) will need to ask for help is a T-bar as the intermediate projection of the maximal projection
TP. It also shows that in the proform function so/which/as shows consistency that need to ask for help is
a VP aside from the fact that need to ask for help is the antecedent of so. Preposing condition states that
we can only preposed the smallest possible maximal projection containing the highlighted material.
Letter h, help is a smallest maximal projection in (vi).In letter i for help is a question of genitive case
particle which has a little semantic content, ask for help can be preposed due to the fact that it is a
maximal projection of the verb ask. In letters k and m has the same situation in which tense auxiliaries
to and will are both functions as an intermediate T-bar of their complements and that they have little
semantic content. Need to ask for help for help can be preposed as it is a maximal projection of the verb
need. This sentence obeys the Headedness and Binary Principle.

4. They are expecting to hear from you.

Merging the preposition from with the pronoun you as its complement derives the form prepositional
phrase (i):

Merging the verb hear with its complement prepositional phrase from you results to a verb phrase VP
(ii):

Merging the preposition to with its complement hear from you (VP) forms a T-bar (iii):

Merging the verb expecting with the resulting T-bar as its complement of the verb expecting forms a VP
(iv):

Merging the tense auxiliary are with its complement VP expecting to hear from you results to T-bar (v):
Merging the T-bar in (v) with the pronoun they which serves as its subject/specifier will now derive the
TP (vi):

The sentence proves that it is under this is under co-ordination condition, following the headedness and
binary principle as the italicised strings in letters a-e can be co-ordinated with another similar string and
thus also shows consistency like in (i) from you as a PP; b (ii) hear from you as a VP, c (iii) to hear from
you is a T-bar, d (iv) expecting to hear from you is a VP, and e (v) are expecting to hear from you is a T-
bar. This is also in support with using profroms so in which its antecedent expecting to hear from you
shows consistency that it is a VP in (iv). In the preposing condition again wehave to preposed the
smallest maximal projection to make it grammatical. As in letter g having the pronoun you as a smallest
maximal projection makes it possible to preposed the same condition with letter I & k. In contrast to
this, letters j and l to, are cannot possibly be preposed because of their status as an Intermediate
maximal projection having to as a T-bar with its maximal projection VP expecting to hear from you (iv)

5. You should try to talk to the president of Utopia.

Merging the preposition of with the noun Utopia as its complement derives the form prepositional
phrase (i):

Merging the noun president with its complement prepositional phrase of Utopia results to an N-bar (ii):

Merging the resulting N-bar president of Utopia with the determiner the makes an NP (iii):
Merging the preposition to with the resulting NP as the complement of the preposition to forms a
prepositional phrase PP (iv):

Merging the verb talk with the resulting PP in as the complement of the verb talk forms a VP (v):

Merging the resulting VP in (v) with the tense auxiliary to they which serves as (vi):

The sentence proves that it is under this is under co-ordination condition, following the headedness and
binary principle as it the italicised strings in letters a-e can be co-ordinated with another similar string
and thus also shows consistency like in (i)