SYNTAX WORKSHEET 1

1. Identify (bracket out and label) the clause elements in the following sentences and indicate the clause
pattern:

1. You could see inside the doll house.

2. Must you make so much noise?
3. Everybody is afraid of fire.
4. She is a very refreshingly young research assistant who has a recently acknowledged in the faculty board
talent for analysing what hides underneath the outer shell of the cell nucleus.
5. Where you go does not concern me.
6. You really must see this house.
7. Elizabeth knew what that letter was, but she kept it to herself.
8. The school principal proposed that the scholarship go to the Ferring brothers.

2. Here is a list of strings of words. Divide them into A. phrases and B. clauses. Now for the phrases in list
A, put each of them into a “tree structure.” Then look at clauses in list B, for each clause indicate the
pattern, then divide them into a) finite, b) non-finite.

… a school [that] I know … why you called me

very pretty … installed here before Brexit
… [for] cooling in the fridge for ten minutes … to a new stage in my life
just there … after he signed the papers
if I were you … my time
knowing you as I do … [regret] to tell you that they voted against it
before Enlightenment his refusal to acknowledge his mistake
[wanted] to buy a shirt … [where you] can find white paint
[am] sorry about the mess that beautiful cottage on the hill
[you] be back before dinner exactly at eighty degrees
an icecream machine the question if you can arrive in time
[a car] that you should buy [try] taking an aspirin
for your birthday early enough
… that I could take a break anytime [the question] if you will accept the offer
to be honest … after lunch
… before you called …when I can talk to you
quite affordable from our people her
 B. Clauses
A. Phrases
a) finite b) non-finite

3. Analyse and explain (bracketing, pattern, tree) the following ambiguities:

a) Juvenile court tries shooting defendant.

b) Enraged cow injures farmer with axe.

c) Research fans hope for spinal injuries.

d) Kids make nutritious snacks.

e) This is our new French pastry chef.

Example: The witness saw the man with the binoculars.

#1 [S The witness] [V saw] [O the man] [A with the binoculars]. SVOA

PP and NP are sisters;

PP and NP are daughters of VP.

Explanation: In this interpretation, the PP is a daughter of the VP and sister of the NP (dO), functioning as
Adverbial of Manner (how did the witness see the man? with the binoculars).
#2 [S The witness] [V saw] [O the man with the binoculars]. SVO

NP is mother of PP;

Explanation: In the latter case, the PP is no longer a daughter of the VP, but of the NP, functioning as
postmodifier for the head N [man]. The entire NP (with determiner, head and postmodifier) functions as
Direct Object (whom did the witness see? the man with the binoculars).

😊 I hope the trees and explanations are clear.

😊 You can either draw the tree on your computer or do it by hand and take a picture.

😊 If you have any questions, don’t hesitate.