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Persian Learner Posted 8 years ago
Linguistics Studies

Tree Diagram (syntax)

Hi.

How would the following sentence be charted in a tree diagram?

Annie bumped into a man with an umbrella. (Annie was carrying an umbrella.)

I have drawn two diagrams for the above on paper:


WRITE DESCRIPTION HERE


WRITE DESCRIPTION HERE


Which one is more acceptable?

I prefer the second one, but a linguist told me the first one is more acceptable in modern syntax because the projections should be binary.




  

Top answer

Annie bumped into a man with an umbrella. This sentence is infelicitous for several reasons: It's ambiguous - is it intended to mean that the umbrella did the bumping? If it does, then the PP is a means adjunct.

— BillJ

  • Annie bumped into a man with an umbrella.
  • This sentence is infelicitous for several reasons: It's ambiguous - is it intended to mean that the umbrella did the bumping?
  • If it does, then the PP is a means adjunct.
  • Or does it mean that Annie did the bumping and she happened to be carrying an umbrella at the time?
  • -- in which case the PP is a predicative adjunct.
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1 Answers
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Annie bumped into a man with an umbrella.

This sentence is infelicitous for several reasons:

It's ambiguous - is it intended to mean that the umbrella did the bumping? If it does, then the PP is a means adjunct.

Or does it mean that Annie did the bumping and she happened to be carrying an umbrella at the time? -- in which case the PP is a predicative adjunct.

In

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