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Constituency Tests

This document discusses constituency tests, which are used to systematically identify syntactic constituents in sentences. It addresses different types of constituency tests from various linguistic sources. Exercises are provided to apply tests to determine if sequences of words are constituents, including movement, deletion, substitution, coordination, and semantic tests. Students must use a minimum of three tests and demonstrate each test to determine constituency. Examples of cleft and pseudo-cleft sentences are also requested.

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104 views

Constituency Tests

This document discusses constituency tests, which are used to systematically identify syntactic constituents in sentences. It addresses different types of constituency tests from various linguistic sources. Exercises are provided to apply tests to determine if sequences of words are constituents, including movement, deletion, substitution, coordination, and semantic tests. Students must use a minimum of three tests and demonstrate each test to determine constituency. Examples of cleft and pseudo-cleft sentences are also requested.

Uploaded by

Simões
Copyright
© © All Rights Reserved
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
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Download as DOCX, PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd
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Department of Letters and Humanities

Degree in English Teacher Training


English Syntax I – I semester 2022

Constituency Tests

We have noted that not all sequences of words (Phrases) function as constituents in every sentences or another constituent. We very often have
intuitions about which words make up units in particular sentences or phrases. However, we need to find a more general, systematic and a more
reliable way of dividing sentences up into their constituent parts and thus demonstrate that a given sequence of words is a phrase or constituent.

These Syntactic constituents are identified by a number of different constituency tests, which are based on the principle that only entire
constituents are moveable, replaceable, delectable or conjoinable. Noel Burton-Robert (2022:9-13), Bas Aarts (2001:223-232), Carnie (2006:
111-118) and Payne (2011:158-165) address different types of constituency tests. Refer to them and examine all the tests carefully to get their
philosophy. Then, fulfil the following exercises:

1. Complete the table below by grouping the tests you studied in the sources indicated above into major classes.

CLASS TRANSPOSITION/MOVEMENT DELECTION SUBSTITUTION COORDINATION SEMANTIC

“Your teacher can open a door, but you must enter by


Manuel Jossias
yourself”.
replacement of a If string of words
set words in a can coordinate with
sentence by a other similar strings,
single word then such string of
If a group of words can be
without changing word can act as
moved together, they are
the overall constituent of a

Main characteristic
constituent.
structure of the sentence.
sentence.

s5
Types of Tests

2. A single constituency test is not enough to conclude whether a certain sequence of words (or single word) is a constituent part of a
sentence or a Phrase. By rule, the minimum of thrdqsqsqssee tests are required to decide whether one sequence is a constituent or not.
Using three tests at your choice, show whether the elements in brackets are or are not constituents.

i) I received beautiful flowers [for my birthday]. Omission test: I received beautiful flowers; Movement test: For my birthday I
received beautiful flowers; Stand alone Test: Why did you receive beautiful flowers? A: For my birthday.
ii) [For him to kill that poor fly] was wrong.

iii) [The man] from New York flew only ultra-light planes. Replacement test: He

iv) Ruben called [the man] with the umbrella.


v) Paul placed the [book carefully] on the desk. Replacement Test: Paul placed [it] on the desk.

“Your teacher can open a door, but you must enter by


Manuel Jossias
yourself”.
vi) The president may fear [congress will regret his proposal].

NB: you have to present the “demonstrations” of each test applied.

3. Produce two cleft and three pseudo-clefting sentences from each of the following ones:
a) The government spends thousands of pounds on road safety every year.

b) The policeman met several young students in the park last night.

“Your teacher can open a door, but you must enter by


Manuel Jossias
yourself”.

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