Ling 566: Intro Syntax for Computational Linguistics

Midterm Exam

Due 11/16 1:30pm

No collaboration. Send questions directly to me my email, and I will post Q&A on GoPost. So read GoPost, too :)

The late policy applies to the midterm as well. Unless you make prior arrangments with me, midterms submitted late but by 1:30pm on 11/19 will receive 80% credit. Midterms submitted late but by 1:30pm on 11/20 will receive 70% credit. Midterms will not be accepted after 1:30pm on 11/20 (again, except by prior arrangment). Don't be late!

• Chapter 10, Problem 1

  Modification: Instead of examples (i)-(viii) in the text, you should consider (and account for) examples (1)-(8) here:

  1. Pat was presented to Sally_i by herself_i.
  2. *Pat was presented to herself_i by Sally_i.
  3. They_i were presented to themselves_i by Chris.
  4. *They_i were presented to them_i by Chris.
  5. The photographer_i was photographed by herself_i.
  6. *The photographer_i was photographed by her_i.
  7. The students_i were introduced to Kim by each other_i.
  8. *The students_i were introduced to Kim by them_i

  Note: Your answer should include an ARG-ST for each passive verb in (1)-(8) as they appear in those sentences, as well as an explanation of whether and how or not these ARG-STs together with the Binding Principles predict the acceptability judgments shown in (1)-(8).

• Chapter 10, Problem 3

  NOTE 10.3 was revised somewhat between printings. Please answer this version.

• And, special for the midterm, here is Question 3:

  Consider the sentence Give Kim Sandy's books and the key!

  1. For each word in the sentence, indentify the lexical type of the lexical entry that licenses it.
  2. For each word in the sentence, specify what lexical rule licenses it.
  3. Draw a tree showing the structure assigned to this sentence, using abbreviations defined on p. 279 for the nodes. Use D as the abbreviation for a node that is [HEAD det] but has a non-empty SPR value.
  4. Draw another tree showing the same structure. This time, use feature structures for the nodes, showing only the value of SPR, COMPS and ARG-ST (where appropriate) on each node, using abbreviations such as NP for the elements of these lists. Use tags to show identities between elements of these lists and/or nodes in the tree.
  5. Describe the chain of identities that links the GIVEN role of the give predication to the NAMED role of the name predication for Kim. Each link should say what to values are identified and what part of the grammar (lexical entry, rule, or principle) identifies them. [Hint: I find 4 links in this chain.]
  6. In the fully resolved tree, what is the PER value on the node above Give? What rules, principles and constraints constrain this PER value? [Hint: I find 3.]

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