GENERAL PROBLEM SETS
GPS1. NP TYPES
[Application of Skills; Very Basic]
Identify the type of NP (anaphor, pronoun, R-expression) of each of
the following:
their, each cat, folk dancing, oneself, each other, she, her, themselves
GPS2. C-COMMAND AND BINDING
[Application of Skills; Basic]
Draw the trees for each of the following sentences, and for the bolded NPs
indicate (i) whether there is a binding relationship between the two nouns,
and (ii) if there is relationship, which noun is the binder and which is the
element that is being bound. If there is no binding relationship, explain why
(i.e., state which part of the definition of “binding” is not met). Note, this is
not a question about the binding conditions (A, B, C) but about the definition
of binding itself.
a) [The book about [the president]i ]k didn’t bother himi.
b) [The book about [the president]i ]k didn’t bother himi.
c) [The book about [the president]i ]k sold itselfk.
d) [Andyi’s constant lack of effort]k dismayed [hisi father]m.
e) [Andyi’s constant lack of effort]k dismayed [hisn father]m.
GPS3. BINDING DOMAIN
[Application of Skills; Basic]
Draw the tree for each of the following sentences. In your tree circle
the binding domain for the boldfaced noun:
a) The students told themselves that the exam would include simple
questions.
b) The students told their professor that they weren’t worried about binding
theory. [Treat weren’t as a T and worried as a V.]
c) Michael said the binding judgments sounded wrong.
GPS4. BINDING PRINCIPLES
[Application of Skills and Data Analysis; Intermediate]
Explain why the following sentences are ungrammatical. For each sentence,
say what the binding domain of the NP causing the problem is, whether it is
c-commanded by its binder (antecedent), and name the binding condition
that is violated.
a) *Michaeli loves himi.
b) *Hei loves Michaeli.
c) *Michaeli’s fatherj loves himselfi.
d) *Michaeli’s fatherj loves himj.
e) *Susani thinks that John should marry herselfi.
f) *John thinks that Susani should kiss heri.
CHALLENGE PROBLEM SETS
CHALLENGE PROBLEM SET 1: WH-QUESTIONS
[Critical Thinking; Challenge]
What problem(s) does the following sentence raise for the binding theory
as we have sketched it in this chapter? Can you think of a solution?
(Hint: consider the non-question form of this sentence John despises
these pictures of himself.)
Which pictures of himselfi does Johni despise?
Assume the following tree for this sentence:
CP
NP C TP
does
D N PP NPi VP
Which pictures
P NPi N V
of John despise
N
himself
CHALLENGE PROBLEM SET 2: BINDING DOMAIN
[Critical Thinking; Challenge]
The following sentence with the assigned indexing is predicted by the theory
we have given so far to be ungrammatical. But it is actually ok. Explain
why our theory says this should be ungrammatical.
Andyi dismayed [hisi father]m.
CHALLENGE PROBLEM SET 3: PERSIAN7
[Critical Thinking; Challenge]
Does the binding theory account for the following data? Explain. (Râ means
“the” when following object NPs. 3SG means “third person singular.”)
