Mater Dei College

Tubigon, Bohol

School of Graduate Studies

Course Work Number 1

GENERAL LINGUISTICS AND INTRODUCTION TO MORPHOLOGY

COURSE WORK IN SYNTAX

Name: Joan A. Escabas

Date Submitted: July 21, 2024

1. Consider the following sentences:

a. I hate war.
b. You know that I hate war.
c. He knows that you know that I hate war.

1.1 Write another sentence that includes sentence (c).

= He insists that despite the complexity, he knows that I hate war.

This sentence builds upon the nested structure of sentence (c) by adding an assertion (he
insists) and emphasizing the understanding despite the intricate layers of knowledge
involved.

1.2 What does this set of sentences reveal about the nature of language?

This set of sentences illustrates several aspects of language:

1. Nested Embedding: The sentences progressively embed knowledge within each other.
Sentence (c) demonstrates a nested structure where knowledge (about hating war) is
attributed across different individuals (he knows that you know that I hate war).
2. Levels of Communication: Each sentence adds a layer of complexity and nuance to the
expression of an idea (hating war). Sentence (a) is straightforward, expressing a simple
statement. Sentence (b) introduces the idea of knowledge and communication between
individuals. Sentence (c) further complicates the communication by involving multiple
layers of knowledge and perspective.
3. Meta-awareness: Sentence (c) introduces meta-awareness about knowledge levels (he
knows that you know). This meta-awareness reflects how language can be used not just to
convey information but also to discuss and analyze the knowledge itself.
4. Subjectivity and Perspective: The sentences also highlight how language can convey
different perspectives and subjective experiences. Each sentence subtly shifts the focus and
perspective on who knows what about the hatred of war.

Overall, this set of sentences reveals that language is a powerful tool for expressing ideas,
communicating knowledge across different levels of awareness, and reflecting on the complexity of
human understanding and relationships. Language allows us to not only convey information but also
to explore and analyze the layers of meaning and awareness that exist within communication.
 2. Paraphrase each of the following sentences in two ways to show that you understand the
ambiguity involved:
Example: Smoking grass can be nauseating.
i. Putting grass in a pipe and smoking it can make you sick.
ii. Fumes from smoldering grass can make you sick.
a. Dick finally decided on the boat.

The ambiguity in the sentence "Dick finally decided on the boat" by providing two different
interpretations:

i. Interpretation 1:

 Dick made a decision regarding which boat to purchase.

o Paraphrase: Dick ultimately settled on which boat to buy.

Explanation: Here, the ambiguity lies in the interpretation of "decided on." It could mean Dick made a
choice about a boat purchase.

ii. Interpretation 2:

 Dick made a decision about using a boat for some purpose.

o Paraphrase: Dick eventually made up his mind about using the boat.

Explanation: In this interpretation, "decided on" could imply Dick made a decision regarding the use
or deployment of a boat, rather than purchasing one.

These paraphrases illustrate how the sentence "Dick finally decided on the boat" can be understood
in different ways depending on the context and emphasis given to the phrase "decided on."

b. That sheepdog is too hairy to eat.

i. Interpretation 1:

 The sheepdog has excessive fur, making it unappealing for consumption.

o Paraphrase: The sheepdog has so much hair that it would not be suitable for eating.

Explanation: In this interpretation, "too hairy to eat" suggests that the sheepdog's fur is too abundant
or thick, making it unsuitable as food.

ii. Interpretation 2:

 The sheepdog is too beloved or valuable to consider eating.

o Paraphrase: The sheepdog is too cherished to be considered as food.

Explanation: Here, "too hairy to eat" could imply that the sheepdog is too important, beloved, or
valuable as a pet or companion to even entertain the idea of consuming it.
These paraphrases illustrate how the sentence "That sheepdog is too hairy to eat" can be interpreted
differently depending on whether "too hairy" is taken literally (referring to the amount of fur) or
figuratively (referring to the value or sentiment attached to the sheepdog).

1. Terry loves his wife and so do I.

i. Interpretation 1:

 Terry loves his wife, and I also love Terry's wife.

o Paraphrase: Terry's affection for his wife is reciprocated by my own feelings toward
her.

Explanation: In this interpretation, "so do I" directly refers to sharing Terry's sentiment towards his
wife, implying that I also love her.

ii. Interpretation 2:

 Terry loves his wife, and I love my own wife/partner as well.

o Paraphrase: Like Terry, I have deep affection for my spouse.

Explanation: Here, "so do I" shifts the focus to my own relationship, suggesting that my love for my
spouse mirrors Terry's love for his wife, rather than implying love for Terry's wife specifically.

These paraphrases illustrate how the sentence "Terry loves his wife and so do I" can be understood
in different ways depending on whether "so do I" is interpreted as sharing Terry's sentiment towards
his wife or as expressing my own similar feelings towards my spouse.
3. Draw two phrase structure trees representing the two meanings of the sentence “The
magician touched the child with the wand.” Be sure you indicate which meaning goes
with which tree.

The sentence "The magician touched the child with the wand" has two possible
interpretations based on the placement of the prepositional phrase "with the wand."
Here are the phrase structure trees for each interpretation:

Interpretation 1: The magician used the wand to touch the child

Sentence (S)
|
+-----------+------------+
| |
NP (The magician) VP (VP1)
|
+------+-------+
| |
V (touched) NP (the child)
|
+----+----+
| |
Det (the) N (wand)

Explanation:

 Sentence (S): The entire sentence structure.

 NP (The magician): Noun Phrase representing "the magician."
 VP (VP1): Verb Phrase representing "touched the child with the wand."
o V (touched): Verb "touched."
o NP (the child): Noun Phrase representing "the child."
o PP (with the wand): Prepositional Phrase indicating instrumentality.
 P (with): Preposition "with."
 NP (the wand): Noun Phrase representing "the wand."

In this tree, "with the wand" is attached as a PP to the VP, indicating that the wand is the
instrument used by the magician to touch the child.

Interpretation 2: The magician touched the child who had a wand

 Sentence (S)
|
+-----------+------------+
| |
NP (The magician) VP (VP2)
|
+------+-------+
| |
V (touched) NP (the child)
|
+----+----+
| |
Det (the) N (wand)

Explanation:

 Sentence (S): The entire sentence structure.

 NP (The magician): Noun Phrase representing "the magician."
 VP (VP2): Verb Phrase representing "touched the child."
o V (touched): Verb "touched."
o NP (the child): Noun Phrase representing "the child."
 PP (with the wand): Prepositional Phrase indicating
possession or association.
 P (with): Preposition "with."
 NP (the wand): Noun Phrase representing "the
wand."

In this tree, "with the wand" is attached as a PP to the NP "the child," indicating that the
child possesses or is associated with the wand.

These phrase structure trees illustrate the syntactic structures corresponding to the two
different meanings of the sentence "The magician touched the child with the wand."
 4.Draw the subtrees for the italicized NPs in the following sentences:

1. Every child’s mother hopes he will be happy.

2. The big dog’s bone is buried in the garden.

3. Angry men in dark glasses roamed the streets.

4. My aunt and uncle’s trip to Alaska was wonderful.

Sentence (a): Every child’s mother hopes he will be happy.

 Italicized NP: every child's mother

Sentence (S)
|
+-------+--------+
| |
NP (Every child’s mother) VP (VP1)
|
+----+-----+
| |
V (hopes) S (S1)
|
+----+----+
| |
 NP (he) VP (will be happy)
|
+-----+-----+
| |
V (will) AP (be happy)
|
Adj (happy)

 Explanation: The NP "every child’s mother" consists of a determiner ("every"),

a noun ("mother"), and a possessive phrase ("child’s").

Sentence (b): The big dog’s bone is buried in the garden.

 Italicized NP: the big dog’s bone

Sentence (S)

|
+-------+--------+
| |
NP (The big dog’s bone) VP (VP1)
|
+-----+-------+
| |
V (is) VP (buried)
|
+----+-------+
| |
P (in) NP (the garden)
|
+----+----+
| |
Det (the) N (garden)

 Explanation: The NP "the big dog’s bone" includes a determiner ("the"), an

adjective ("big"), a noun ("dog"), and a possessive phrase ("bone").
Sentence (c): Angry men in dark glasses roamed the streets.

 Italicized NP: angry men

Sentence (S)
|
+-------+--------+
| |
NP (Angry men) VP (VP1)
|
V (roamed)
|
NP (the streets)
|
+----+-----+
| |
Det (the) N (streets)

 Explanation: The NP "angry men" consists of an adjective ("angry") and a noun

("men").

Sentence (d): My aunt and uncle’s trip to Alaska was wonderful.

 Italicized NP: my aunt and uncle’s trip

Sentence (S)
|
+-------+--------+
| |
NP (My aunt and uncle’s trip) VP (VP1)
|
+----+--------+
| |
V (was) AP (wonderful)
|
Adj (wonderful)

 Explanation: The NP "my aunt and uncle’s trip" includes a possessive phrase
("my aunt and uncle’s") and a noun ("trip").
These subtrees show the structural breakdown of each italicized NP within their
respective sentences.