IESLV “Juan Ramón Fernández”

English Grammar I
Virginia López Grisolía

Key to Assignments - Lessons 5-8

Lesson 5 Activity 2: (to be handed in as Assignment 5)
Analyse the following sentences from a semantic point of view
1. Laura placed the book on a shelf.
2. The boy ate the sandwich.
3. The child was very innocent. (= naïve)
4. The man was innocent of any crime. (= not guilty of any crime)
5. John is in London.

Answers

Semantic Analysis
1. Laura placed the book on a shelf.
Predicator: place (three-place verb or predicator)
Arguments: Laura, the book, on a shelf
Argument Structure of place: <1, 2, 3>

2. The boy ate the sandwich.

Predicator: eat (two-place verb or predicator)
Arguments: The boy, the sandwich
Argument Structure of eat: <1, 2>

3. The child was very innocent.

Predicator: innocent (one-place adjective or predicator)
Arguments: The child
Argument Structure of innocent: <1>

4. The man was innocent of any crime.

Predicator: innocent (two-place adjective or predicator)
Arguments: The man, any crime
Argument Structure of innocent: <1, 2 >

5. John is in London.
Predicator: in (two-place preposition)
Arguments: John, London
Argument Structure of in: <1, 2>

Lesson 6 Activity 4: (to be handed in as Assignment 6)

State the subcategorization frame of the following predicators:
1. Laura placed the book on a shelf.
2. The boy ate the sandwich.
3. The child was very innocent. (= naïve)
4. The man was innocent of any crime. (= not guilty of any crime)
5. John is at the office.

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 IESLV “Juan Ramón Fernández”
English Grammar I
Virginia López Grisolía

Answers

Subcategorization frames
1. Laura placed the book on a shelf.
Subcategorization frame of place: V [  DP PP]

2. The boy ate the sandwich.

Subcategorization frame of eat: V [  DP]

3. The child was very innocent.

Subcategorization frame of innocent: A [  ]

4. The man was innocent of any crime.

Subcategorization frame of innocent: A [  PP]

5. John is at the office.

Subcategorization frame of at: P [  DP]

Lesson 7 Activity 3: (to be handed in as Assignment 7)

Analyse the following sentences from a semantic point of view:
1. I’m learning Japanese.
2. I know Japanese.
3. I know Peter.
4. I met him at a party.

Answers

Semantic Analysis
1. I’m learning Japanese.
Predicator: learn (two-place verb)
Arguments: I, Japanese
Argument Structure of learn: <1, 2>
Proposition: dynamic (Learn is an activity verb)

2. I know Japanese.
Predicator: know (two-place verb)
Arguments: I, Japanese (two arguments)
Argument Structure of know: <1, 2>
Proposition: stative (Know is a modality verb expressing cognition)

3. I know Peter.
Predicator: know (two-place verb)
Arguments: I, Peter
Argument Structure of know: <1, 2>
Proposition: stative (Know is a modality verb expressing cognition)
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 IESLV “Juan Ramón Fernández”
English Grammar I
Virginia López Grisolía

4. I met him at a party.

Predicator: meet (two-place verb)
Arguments: I, him
Argument Structure of meet: <1, 2>
Proposition: dynamic (Meet is an activity verb)

Lesson 8 Activity 3: (To be handed in as Assignment 8)

Do the semantic analysis of the following sentences:
1. We loved the film.
2. We went to the theatre yesterday.
3. John was working at that time.
4. She knitted me a sweater.

Answers

Semantic Analysis
1. We loved the film.
Predicator: love (two-place verb)
Arguments: We, the film
Argument structure of love: <1, 2>
Theta-grid of love: <experiencer, theme>
Proposition: stative (Love is a modality verb expressing volition)

2. We went to the theatre yesterday.

Predicator: to (two-place preposition or predicator)
Arguments: We, the theatre
Argument structure of to: <1, 2>
Theta-grid of to: <theme, locative>
Proposition: dynamic (Go is a verb expressing directed motion, an intransitive verb of
incomplete predication, and as such, it can not be a predicator. See Lesson 14)

3. John was working at that time.

Predicator: work (one-place verb)
Arguments: John
Argument structure of work: <1>
Theta-grid of work: <agent>
Proposition: dynamic (Work is an activity verb)

4. She knitted me a sweater.

Predicator: knit (two-place verb)
Arguments: She, a sweater
Argument structure of knit: <1,2>
Theta-grid of knit: <agent, resultant>
Proposition: dynamic (Knit is an activity verb)