Argument Structure and Affixation (4)

I. Correct and/or complete

a) In the Aspects model of GTG the syntactic valency of verbs is represented by .....
b) In GB Theory the syntactic valency of verbs is represented by......
c) There is systematic correspondence between thematic roles and morphologic case
and syntactic function. Refute or support this statement relying on the following
examples; identiy the theta grid of the predicates:
(i) Tom opened the door with a key/ The key opened the door
(ii) Judith loves Tom/ It seems to me that you are tired/ You surprised your
teachers with your theory
(iii) The balloon rose up
II. Discuss the impact of the affixation of -able, -en, -ed, -ee -ify, on the argument structure of
the lexical item to which they attach in terms of Williams hypothesis (externalization,
internalization); represent the two processes schematically:
(i) They read the novel / The novel is readable
(ii) This shirt is wide/ He has widened the shirt
(iii) The water is pure/ They purified the water
(iv) They have arrested the criminal/ the criminal has been arrested (by them)
(v) employ someone/employee
III. Account for the inheritance phenomena below in terms of Di Sciullos mechanisms (control
and function composition); give a tree-like representation of the complex words:
(i) the laziness of the children upsets me
(ii) the destruction of the city by the Romans
(iii) He is Johns employee so John is his employer
(iv) The grammar is generative
(v) His position is understandable
(vi) The wasp was killed by John
IV. Explain the ill-formedness of the following -er nominalizations and -able adjective in terms
of Roepers approach :
a) *a trier, *an intender, *a hoper, *a disappearer vs teacher, runner, swimmer, writer
b) *tryable, *comeable, *dieable, *fallable, *decidable vs. readable, understandable,
loveable
V. -er nominalizations are called agentive nouns, since it is assumed that -er controls the
agent argument of the base verb. Analyze the following and see whether this generalization
holds; can Roepers model account for these cases?
a) a lover of French cuisine
b) the freezer is in the kitchen
c) a protein .... that is a potent inducer of new blood vessel growth
d) owners of intellectual property