Pedagogical Faculty, University of Zenica English Language and Literature Teaching assistant: Ena Hodi

01.04.2010.

SINTAKSA PROSTE I SLOENE REENICE Coordinated singular NPs require a plural verb: Jack and Jill are siblings. My cousin and her friend are coming tomorrow. Coordination within an NP under a shared determiner agreement is plural or singular depending on the interpretation intended: [DPMy [coordNP[NPfriend] and [NPcolleague]]] has arrived. OR: [coordDP[DPMy friend] and [DP(e) colleague]] have arrived. His aged servant and the editor of his collected papers was/were with him at his deathbed. Coordination of clauses that function as subject usually requires plural as natural option: [What I say] and [what I think] are/*is no business of yours. Even the coordination on a lower level (T or VP) requires a plural verb: [What I say] and [(e) think] are no business of yours. Compare: Ono to govorim i ono to mislim tie/*tiu se samo mene. (only singular verb in Bosnian) BE CAREFUL! 'or' selects the noun nearest to the main verb ADJACENCY/PROXIMITY principle. Either ... or ... Neither ... nor ... (singular verb is FORMAL style) Either the professor or the assistant HAS to come. Either the professors or the students HAVE to come. EXERCISES: I. Supply the correct form of the verb and discuss your answer: 1. Pre- and post-war Germany ________ very different. (be) 2. Your problem and mine ________ similar. (be) 3. My wife and my sister ________ arrived. (have) 4. Either the professor or the assistants ________ bound to come. (be) 5. Neither the professor nor his assistant ________ come. (have) 6. The changes of male attitude _________ on the age. (depend) 7. Smoking cigarettes _________ dangerous for your health. (be) 8. American and Dutch beer _________ much lighter than British beer. (be) 9. Either your brakes or your eyesight ______ at fault. (be) 10. None of the books ________ being placed on the shelves today. (be) II. Identify embedded clauses in the following examples: 1. One evening he asked her whether he might go home with her. 2. His aunt feared that he might catch something. 3. His uncle said that evil communications corrupted good manners. 4. He was afraid of people that were standing behind him. 5. John believes that Sue is a good student. 6. I wonder if he still remembers that day in April. 7. That John should have done such a thing is rather worrying. 8. That he will propose to her soon is unlikely. 9. I doubt whether he will ever manage to finish the book.

Pedagogical Faculty, University of Zenica English Language and Literature Teaching assistant: Ena Hodi

01.04.2010.

III. Identify adverbials realized by embedded clauses: 1. She liked to put up lunches for him when he went hunting. 2. We had jolly evenings at the Harlings when the father was away. If he was at home, the children had to go to bed early. 3. Though we did not realize it then, Mrs. Harling was our audience when we played.
IV. Among the underscored adverbials in the examples below, pick up those that are not adjuncts, and say what class of adverbials they belong to and how they differ from adjuncts.

1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. 7. 8. 9. 10.

Curiously, Mrs Jensen consulted her lawyers. Frankly, I'm tired. How far did you drive yesterday? I just can't believe a word he says! My wife is very busy this evening, and in addition, she is not feeling very well. Normally, Jenny goes to bed before midnight. She has become much better off since yesterday. Stay in bed until your temperature comes down. The play was perhaps written by Francis Beaumont. They fully appreciate the problem.