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Syntax Exercises

The document presents exercises analyzing the syntactic parameters set by a 24-month-old girl named Lucy in her utterances. Each example is compared to its adult counterpart to determine whether Lucy correctly sets the Head Position Parameter, the Wh-Parameter, and the Null Subject Parameter. The document includes specific examples and descriptive solutions for each exercise.

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Karina Estefania Mendez
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12 views10 pages

Syntax Exercises

The document presents exercises analyzing the syntactic parameters set by a 24-month-old girl named Lucy in her utterances. Each example is compared to its adult counterpart to determine whether Lucy correctly sets the Head Position Parameter, the Wh-Parameter, and the Null Subject Parameter. The document includes specific examples and descriptive solutions for each exercise.

Uploaded by

Karina Estefania Mendez
Copyright
© © All Rights Reserved
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
Available Formats
Download as PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd
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English

Syntax: An
Introduction
EXERCISES OF THE BOOK

Karina Estefanía Méndez Méndez


UNIT 1
Exercise 1.1
Below are examples of utterances produced by a girl called Lucy at age 24 months. Comment on whether Lucy
has correctly set the three parameters discussed in the text (the Head Position Parameter, the Wh-Parameter,
and the Null Subject Parameter). Solve them descriptively.

CHILD ADULT COUNTERPART Which parameter has Lucy set correctly?


SENTENCE
1. What ‘What are you doing?’ • The head parameter
doing? The head of a phrase (e.g. what) always precedes the
complement (e.g. doing).
• The WH parameter
The ‘wh-’ is moved to the beginning

2. Want bye- ‘I want to go to sleep’ • The head parameter


byes The head of a phrase “want” precedes the complement
“bye-byes”

3. Mummy go Mummy went to the shops’; • The head parameter


shops this was in reply to ‘Where did The noun ‘mummy’ is considered as the head of the phrase
Mummy go?’
4. Me have ‘Can I have a yoghurt?’ • The head parameter
yoghurt? The verb ‘have’ acts as the head of the phrase, then, the
phrase ‘me have yoghurt’ is considered as a ‘verb phrase’
5. Daddy doing? ‘What’s Daddy doing?’ • The head parameter
The noun ‘daddy’ acts as the head of the phrase, so, the
phrase ‘daddy doing’ is considered as a ‘noun phrase
6. Think Teddy ‘I think Teddy’s sleeping’; this • The head parameter
sleeping was in reply to ‘What do you the phrase ‘think’ is considered as a ‘verb phrase’
think Teddy's doing?’
7. What me What am I having?’; this • The head parameter
having? followed her mother saying ‘having’ is a verb which has the subject ‘me’ and ‘what’ as a
‘Mummy's having fish for complement.
dinner’ • The WH parameter

8. No me have ‘I’m not going to have fish’ • The head parameter


fish.
9. Where Daddy ‘Where’s Daddy gone?’ • The head parameter
gone? • The WH parameter

10. Gone office ‘He’s gone to his office’ • The head parameter
UNIT 2
Exercise 2.1

Exercise 2.1
UNIT 3
Exercise 3.1
UNIT 4
Exercise 4.1

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