Am I analyzing this sentence in syntax correctly?
I don't know how many books you've sold.
S = NP + VP
NP = I
VP = VP(1) + NP(1)
VP(1) = [don't [know]] (don't is a pre-string that modifies the main verb know)
NP(1) = [how many [books] (that) you've sold] (how many is a pre-string and you've sold is a relative clause as a post-string that modify the main noun books)
Is this correct?
Jukerlaw VP(1) = [don't [know]] (don't is a pre-string that modifies the main verb know) I have never encountered that terminology! The verbs do , have and be are auxiliary verbs, so I would analyze your main clause as I = subject do know = verb phrase, consisting of the lexical verb is know , and the auxiliary, do . The auxiliary is required for negation, since lexical verbs are not directly negated in English syntax.
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JukerlawVP(1) = [don't [know]] (don't is a pre-string that modifies the main verb know)
I have never encountered that terminology!
The verbs do, have and be are auxiliary verbs, so I would analyze your main clause as
I = subject
do know = verb phrase, consisting of the lexical verb is know, and the auxiliary,