Seminar 3

Situation type
I. Identify the predications below (states, activities, accomplishments, etc) and argue for your
choice:
1. I read "War and Peace" in college. 2. The cable snapped. 3. The air smells of jasmine. 4. They
played cards in the drawing-room. 5. The ball vanished under the table. 6. He pushed the car for
several minutes. 7. The soldier reached the summit. 8. The barber shaved ten men in an hour. 9. He
slammed the door twice before calming down. 10. The apartment cost him a fortune. 11. They
wandered the woods for days. 12. She noticed the error in no time. 13. She resembled her mother.
14. The sky grew into something light and limitless. 15. He went out of the house in search of his
sister. 16. He came across the letter hidden in a drawer. 17. He coughed to attract my attention. 18.
He disappeared in the bushes. 19. He walked in the park two days ago. 20. The wall measures 15 ft
in length. 21. She won a Golden Globe award last month. 22. I read "Macbeth in two hours. 23.
She combed her hair for three minutes. 24. Tom stamped his foot at my reply. 25. They strolled on
the beach for half an hour. 26. The box fell heavily to the floor. 27. The plant grew up rapidly. 28.
Mary washed little Susan. 29. She spoke to her mother about the promotion. 30. He recognized her
handwriting.
II. Identify the predications below (states, activities, etc.) by using the following tests from Dowty
1979: 1) progressive form; 2) occurrence in the imperative; 3) compatibility with agentive
adverbials; 4) occurrence in pseudocleft sentences; 5) habitual interpretation in the simple present
tense; 6) in/for an hour; 7) spend x time Ving/take x to time to V; 7) x is Ving entails x has Ved; 8)
ambiguity with almost:
1. Herbert walked in the park. 2. He noticed the painting in a minute. 3. John built the house in a
year. 4. John built houses for a year. 5. John discovered the buried treasure in the backyard
yesterday. 6. John walked to the park. 7. I can see very well, I dont need glasses. 8. He sneezed
when the cat jumped in his lap. 9. At that moment I saw him. 10. John walked a mile in an hour.
11. The girl played the piano for hours on end. 12. She played the Mozart sonata, got up, and left
the room. 13. John drew a circle in five minutes. 14. John was drawing a circle for his daughter
when his wife entered the room. 15. Water leaked through his ceiling for 3 weeks. 16. The
helicopter landed at 3 p.m. 17. The helicopter was landing when the storm started. 18. He is
thinking about Jane. 19. John kicked the ball. 20. The meat smells of garlic.
21. His father died last night. 22. John is polite. 23. John is just being polite. 24. I trust her. 25. I
know Im right. 26. The soldier crossed the border. 27. Mr Browns walks in his office every day.
28. John loves Mary. 29.My cat eats only fish. 29. It took Jon a couple of seconds to recognize his
former schoolmate. 30. John went inside, he looked tired. 31. *All afternoon John went into the
house. 32. Gary fell asleep and was quite for an hour. 33. John eats well. 34. Jon ate up the cheese
we bought the day before yesterday. 35. The cloth feels soft. 36. I am feeling the ground with my
foot. 37. Bill belched his way out of the restaurant. 38. They drank the pub dry. 39. Bill followed
the road into the forest. 40. Sam cut himself free.