Phrase structure trees

Question

Hey guys,I need to draw a phrase structure tree/ tree diagram for the ambiguous sentence:Sisters meet after 18 years in checkout line at supermarket.Can anyone help me?I do not know how to do it Thanks in advance.

Anonymous · Accepted Answer

Is it correct ?  I just have finished reading.

Anonymous · Answer

anyone knows any car accidents thats happened in queensland?

Clive · Answer

anyone knows any car accidents thats happened in queensland?
Does anyone know (of) any car accidents that have happened in Queensland?

Anonymous · Answer

Well for one thing you need two different trees, one for each meaning.

1. Sisters who haven't seen each other for 18 years and then meet in the checkout line:

(N VP PP)
/ / \
| / ( PP )
| / / \
| ( VP ) / ( NP )
| / \ / / \
| / ( ADVP) / / ( PP )
| / / \ / / / \
N V ADV NP P NP P N
Sisters meet after 18 years in checkout line at supermarket

2. Sisters who meet after spending 18 years in the checkout line

(N VP)
/ \
| ( VP )
| / \
| / ( NP )
| / / \
| / / ( NP )
| / / / \
| / / / ( PP )
| / / / / \
| / / / / ( NP )
| / / / / / \
| / / / / / ( PP )
| / / / / / / \
N V ADV NP P NP P N
Sisters meet after 18 years in checkout line at supermarket

You'll notice that English is 'left-headed', as in wherever two branches meet the part of speech on the left determines what type of phrase it is. so e.g. Noun + Preposition Phrase = Noun Phrase.

Anonymous · Answer

or sisters waited eighteen years in the checkout line ?

Anonymous · Answer

I can't easily (and shouldnt) give an actual tree, since when I try to download a program like http://www.sittac.com/download/instructions.html, my computer pops up the Microsoft "what do you watn to associate this with?" question that then doesn;'t get me any where (and because you should do your own home-work). But here is some information to help.

1) phrase structure tree: The idea here is to graphically present the grammar of a sentence using a dendritic structure, starting with the largest unit (the sentence) and breaking each constituent (i.e., each part) down until, roughly speaking, there is only one word at each node (end of a branch). is the famous example from Chomsky.

S:sentence; NP: noun phrase; A: adjective; VP werb phrase; V: verb; Adv: adverb

So, you need to understand what the sentence given means. In this case, you have "two" sentences (headline sentences, since a normal sentence would be worded differently) that look the same:

One sentence (A) is about two sisters who haven't seen each other for sixteen years.

The other sentence (b) is about two sisters standing in line for sixteen years.

So, what is the S in A? What is the S in B? (Hint: they look identical.)

Now, in A, what is the main NP? What is the main VP? What role does the prepositional phrase play? The answers to these questions should help you make your tree.

Now do the same for B. The key is to see the different role of the prepositional phrase and how to draw it into your tree.

Anonymous · Answer

Sisters who haven't seen each other for 18 years, happened to meet in a checkout line.

Anonymous · Answer

Sisters, separated for 18 years, coincidentally meet in a checkout line.

Anonymous · Answer

Sisters (subject) meet (verb) after 18 years (adverb phrase indicating when) in checkout line at supermarket (adverb phrase indicating where). If they had been in the line for 18 years it would be . . .

. . . after 18 years in checkout line (adverb phrase indicating when)
. . . at the supermarket (adverb phrase indicating where).

Martin Ternouth

Anonymous · Answer

Guys I have a question...when do we answer with I did?
for example I Did make an appointment or I did play with my little sister?

Phrase structure trees

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