LING 315 (w25)
Final Exam
Part One: Each of the following sentences is ungrammatical due to one of the major principles or constraints we learned about this semester being violated. For each sentence, identify which principle or constraint is being violated (the Binding Principles, the Theta Criterion, the Case Filter, or the EPP), and explain in what specific way it is being violated. For Binding Principle violations, make sure to indicate which of the three principles is being violated. Note that you are not being asked to correct these sentences, but rather to explain why they are ungrammatical.
(1) *Was snowing on [Wednesday]w.
(2) *[My uncle]u created.
(3) *[Maribel]m nominated [her]m.
(4) *It is likely [Joni]j to sing [“A Case of You”]c.
Part Two: Draw trees for the following French sentences. For your trees, follow the same general guidelines as in the instructions for Homework #4 (e.g., starting Agents in VoiceP). Note that for negated sentences, you will also need a NegP (with pas as the Neg head).
(5) Nous ne-chanterons pas une chanson.
we sing.FUT not a song
‘We will not sing a song. ’
(6) Chanterons nous une chanson?
sing.FUT we a song
‘Will we sing a song?’
Part Three: Draw a tree for the following English sentence, following the same general guidelines as in the instructions for Homework #4.
(7) These dumplings are certain to be devoured.
Extra Credit: In English, sentences like The door was closed are ambiguous. They can either be passives with VP complements, or copula + adjective constructions:
Passive: The door was closed.
‘Someone closed the door ’
Copula + Adj.: The door was closed.
‘The door was not open’
In German, however, the two interpretations are represented unambiguously, as the passive Voice head and the copula are not homonyms as they are in English.
Passive: Die Tür wurde geschlossen.
the door waspass closed
‘Somebody closed the door. ’
Copula + Adj.: Die Tür war geschlossen.
the door wascopula closed
‘The door was not open. ’
Consider now sentence (8):
(8) Will the circle be unbroken?
Is this sentence ambiguous in the same the way that The door was closed is ambiguous?
• If you decide that it is ambiguous, draw trees for both interpretations, and paraphrase the meanings of both (making sure that you clearly indicate which tree corresponds to which interpretation), and explain in what way it is ambiguous.
• If you decide that it is not ambiguous, draw only one tree, paraphrase the interpretation associated with that tree, and explain why it is not ambiguous.