Final Test – variant B

1. Discuss the main properties which distinguish lexical verbs from auxiliaries. (10p)

2. The syntax of the subject: discuss its thematic and case positions (15p)

3. Discuss the constraints on the Passive and provide examples. (15p)

4. Derive the following sentences. 1. They should have been sleeping. 2. Has Mary been reading poems for two
hours? 3. Did they meet John yesterday? 4. Where did they meet yesterday? 5. He shelved the books. (10p)

5. Decide whether the verbs in the sentences below are unergatives or unaccusatives. Justify your answers: 1.
The soldier’s face reddened with anger. 2. The bells were clanging. 3. Dogs bark. 4. He was suffocating with
indignation. 5. A dim glow of light emanated from the room. (10p)

6. Translate into English: 1. Este cu un cap mai înalt decât cei din clasa lui. 2. Covorul s-a tocit. 3. Când a aflat
vestea a înnebunit de durere. 4. Când îi pleacă soția de acasă se transformă în bucătar. 5. N-ai nici o șansă să
câștigi. 6. A râs până i s-a făcut rău. 7. A tot mers până a obosit. 8. Câinele a lătrat până l-a trezit din somn. 9. A
plâns de i-au ieșit ochii din cap. 10. A dormit până i-a trecut mahmureala. (10p)

7. Passivize the sentences below (if possible. If there is no passive counterpart explain why): 1. Somebody has
sat on the chair. 2. The manager heard her talking to the stockbroker. 3. We saw him cross the street. 4. The town
was dancing with light and shadow. 5.The filled the freezer with fish. 6. They have decided on this chair. 7. It
stormed up a flood last night. 8. I took a picture of Mary. 9. Your presence there surprised me. 10. The force of
the blizzard took us by surprise. (10p)

8. Analyse the following text syntactically:

When she got home from the factory that night she decided to take the book of the shareholders and to carry it off
to her own room, without saying anything to Hunter about her plan. While studying the book, it seemed to her that
there were two people whom she might approach; these were Mrs Carrington, who had been a prominent
methodist, and Mrs Wingfield, who might have turned out to be a bit crazy but was nevertheless known to be
generous. (10p)