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Jukerlaw Posted 8 years ago
Linguistics Studies

Help Syntax analysis

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?

  

Top answer

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.

  • 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.
  • com/nice-properties-verbs-1691346 Not is an adverb.
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1 Answers
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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,

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