TUTORIAL-INTRODUCTION TO LINGUISTICS SYNTAX

EXERCISE 1
Decide whether the underlined parts in the sentences below form constituents. Apply at least two
constituency tests. Correct the wrong ones.

a. My aunt bought the cake on Friday.

b. The students of this college must live on the campus.
c. Tina got into a fight.
d. John plays soccer every Sunday.
e. After her tantrum she felt really insecure.
f. The cat plays with the ball.
g. Emily drank too much last night.

EXERCISE 2
Identify the phrase type of each string of words underlined in the sentences below.

a. My sister wrote an amazing book.

b. James, I got a present for you!
c. She gave the book to me.
d. My mother explained everything to my father.
e. The monkey eats a banana on Monday.

EXERCISE 3
Solve the following tasks for the sentence: The friend of my father spent ten days in a cave.

a. What is a phrase? Give a short definition and identify all phrases in the sentence above, list
them and identify their type.
b. Name, explain and carry out two constituency tests for <in a cave> and decide whether it is a
constituent or not.

EXERCISE 4

Point out all constituents with the help of two constituency tests and identify each word-group and
phrase type. You have to identify the head of the phrase in order to determine the phrase type.

1. The kids draw pictures on the board.

2. Robin drove his car into a tree.
EXERCISE 5
Choose ONE adjective from the sentence below and explain why it is an adjective with the help of
two criteria.

Our future crops will face threats not only from climate change, but also from the massive expansion
of cities, a new study warns.

EXERCISE 6

Which phrase in the sentence below fulfills the function of the subject? Give two pieces of evidence.

The friend of my mother went on a cruise last summer.

EXERCISE 7

Which phrase fulfills the function of the direct object in the sentence below? Give two syntactic
pieces of evidence.

Her uncle put the gifts from his mother into the car.