Ling 566: Intro Syntax for Computational Linguistics

Midterm Exam

Due 11/14 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 11/15 will receive 80% credit. Midterms submitted late but by 1:30pm on 11/16 will receive 70% credit. Midterms will not be accepted after 1:30pm on 11/16 (again, except by prior arrangment). Don't be late!

• Chapter 10, Problem 1

  Note: Your answer should include an ARG-ST for each passive verb in (i)-(viii) 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 (i)-(viii).

• 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 Send books to Sandy's cousin!

  1. For each word in the sentence, identify 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 (like NP, NOM, etc) for the nodes. Note that you should assume that the grammar includes the lexical entry given in the answer keys for problems 4 and 5 in Chapter 6 and the phrase structure rule given in the answer key to problem 2 of Chapter 8.
  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 elements of other lists or nodes in the tree. (You do not have to tag empty lists as identical to each other.)
  5. Describe the chain of identities that links the SENDEE role of the send predication to the INST role of the cousin predication. Each link should say what two values are identified and what part of the grammar (lexical entry, rule, or principle) identifies them. [Hint: I find 8 links in this chain.]
  6. In the fully resolved tree, what is the PER value on the node above send (at the path SYN | HEAD | AGR)? What rules and principles constrain this PER value? [Hint: I find 3.]

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