Name : Melisa

Npm : 201912500363
Class : Y4C

Assignment Syntax

Page 21-22
1. The following sentences exemplify the criteria of transposition,
substitution, coordination and ellipsis applied to one type of phrase.
What type of phrase is it and which criteria apply to which examples?
1. I put the letter into the top drawer of the bureau.
Transposition : into the top drawer of the bureau
2. I put the letter there.
Substitution : there
3. Where I put the letter was into the top drawer of the bureau?
Transposition : into the top drawer of the bureau
4. Into the top drawer of the bureau I put the letter.
Transposition : into the top drawer of the bureau
5. It was into the top drawer of the bureau that I put the letter.
Transposition : into the top drawer of the bureau
6. I put the letter either there or into the top drawer of the bureau.
Coordination : or
7. I put into the top drawer of the bureau the letter, my wallet and an old
watch.
Transposition : in the top drawer of the bureau.

2. Analyse the following examples into phrases. Label each phrase, for example
as noun phrase, adverbial phrase and so on, as appropriate. If in doubt about
whether words that are next to each other in an example constitute a phrase,
apply the tests as demonstrated in Exercise 1 above.
For example, in (1) they can be substituted for the pedestrians offended by the
dangerously selfish action of the driver; him can be replaced by the selfish
driver; into the harbour can be replace by off, and so on. The sequence into the
harbour occurs in the different construction Into the harbour they threatened to
throw him. That is, the tests of substitution and transposition indicate that into
the harbour is a phrase, a single constituent.
1. The pedestrians offended by the dangerously selfish action of the
driver threatened to throw him into the harbour.
The pedestrians offended by the dangerously selfish action of the driver:
Noun Phrase
offended by the dangerously selfish action of the driver: Participle
Phrase (offended is a Participle)
by the dangerously selfish action of the driver: Prepositional Phrase
the dangerously selfish action of the driver: Noun Phrase
dangerously selfish: Adjective Phrase
of the driver: Prepositional Phrase
the driver: Noun Phrase
threatened to throw him into the harbour: Verb Phrase
to throw him into the harbour: Infinitive Phrase
him: Noun Phrase
into the harbour: Prepositional Phrase
the harbour: Noun Phrase

2. To throw him into the harbour was illegal but an understandable

reaction by the visitors on the quayside.
To throw him into the harbour: Infinitive Phrase
him: Noun Phrase
into the harbour: Prepositional Phrase
the harbour: Noun Phrase
was illegal but an understandable reaction by the visitors on the
quayside: Verb Phrase
illegal: Adjective Phrase
an understandable reaction by the visitors on the quayside: Noun Phrase
understandable: Adjective Phrase
by the visitors on the quayside: Prepositional Phrase
the visitors on the quayside: Noun Phrase
on the quayside: Prepositional Phrase
the quayside: Noun Phrase

3. Brazil’s tropical forests are amazingly rich in fauna and flora.

Brazil’s tropical forests: Noun Phrase
tropical: Adjective Phrase
Brazil’s: Noun Phrase (possessive)
are amazingly rich in fauna and flora: Verb Phrase
amazingly rich in fauna and flora: Adjective Phrase
in fauna and flora: Prepositional Phrase
fauna and flora: Noun Phrase (consisting of two conjoined Noun
Phrases, fauna and flora)

4. The person sitting at the window is my wife.

The person sitting at the window: Noun Phrase
sitting at the window: Participle Phrase (sitting is a Participle)
at the window: Prepositional Phrase
the window: Noun Phrase
is my wife: Verb Phrase
my wife: Noun Phrase
5. Sitting at the window my wife noticed that our neighbour’s dog was
outside.
Sitting at the window: free Participle Phrase
at the window: Prepositional Phrase
the window: Noun Phrase
my wife: Noun Phrase
noticed our neighbour’s dog: Verb Phrase
our neighbour’s dog: Noun Phrase

6. Susan always drinks black coffee.

Susan: Noun Phrase
always drinks black coffee: Verb Phrase
black coffee: Noun Phrase
black: Adjective Phrase

7. Susan always drinks her coffee black.

Susan: Noun Phrase
always drinks her coffee black: Verb Phrase
her coffee: Noun Phrase
black: Adjective Phrase

8. In his usual carefree fashion John ran up an enormous bill.

In his usual carefree fashion: Prepositional Phrase
his usual carefree fashion: Noun Phrase
usual: Adjective Phrase
carefree: Adjective Phrase
John: Noun Phrase
ran up an enormous bill: Verb Phrase
an enormous bill: Noun Phrase
enormous: Adjective Phrase

9. In his exuberance John ran up an enormous hill.

In his exuberance: Prepositional Phrase
his exuberance: Noun Phrase
John: Noun Phrase
ran up an enormous hill: Verb Phrase
up an enormous hill: Prepositional Phrase
an enormous hill: Noun Phrase
enormous: Adjective Phrase