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Phrase structure 2: Modifications and headedness

Q: Let's peep adjectives/ ajp

Attributive adjectives as premodifiers in NPs many very angry farmers quite pale skin mutually perpendicular directions

Q: What are the semantic roles of peripheral modifiers: focusing modifiers

1 focussing modifiers restrictive focusing modifiers alone, but, exactly, just, merely additive focusing modifiers also, as well, too

12 important questions on Phrase structure 2: Modifications and headedness

Let's talk about modification

Internal dependents in phrases are modifiers

modifiers before the head are premodifiers
modifiers after the head are postmodifiers
pre: he had answered a little indescreetly
post: he expressed himsefl clearly enough.

Let's peep adjectives/ ajp

Attributive adjectives as premodifiers in NPs
many very angry farmers
quite pale skin
mutually perpendicular directions

Distinction between descriptive and classifiers

Descriptor indicates a quality of the entity
e.g. Old trains
quality can be objective and subjective
ob: long (quality of the entity)
sub: splendid (stance towards the entity)

usually descriptors are gradable

classifiers on the other hand indicate a subclass
electric trains, wooden trains, steel trains
these can be adjectives like wooden trains or nouns like passenger trains

to test this, usually these are not gradable
cant say the most steel train

Aight let us look at premodifiers as -ing/ed forms

These are non finite
ing
flashing lights
exhausting task
ed
defeated army
restricted area

Are ing and ed forms adjectives or nouns? Lets take a look

Lets have some examples
living standars vs living creatures?

do a paraphrase test
if you can paraphrase with a PP you have two nouns
standards of living
cups of drinking
classes for dancing

if you paraphrase with relative clause then you have adj+noun

creatures who are living
men who are drinking

Now let us peep some modifiers as nouns/NPs

Ordinary nouns
e.g. A first year student
grammar book
corn farmer

or maybe with genitives?
classifying genitive: a dog's home

Now let's tackle POSTmodifiers

In a NP a postmodifier can be realized by these categories

adj/ajp
NP
PP
adv/avp
dependent clause

Now lets talk integrated vs supplementive postmodifiers

Integrated postmod mofifies the head nouun
supplementive modifies the whole NP
i think integrated vs supplementive is the same as restrictive vs non restrictive?

What are the semantic roles of peripheral modifiers: focusing modifiers

1 focussing modifiers

restrictive focusing modifiers
alone, but, exactly, just, merely

additive focusing modifiers

also, as well, too

What are the semantic roles of peripheral modifiers: scaling modifiers

We were faced with easily the worst situation we had ever seen

kim had come to almost the same conclusion as the koran

this is a large group
-reinforcement: absolutely
-approximation: nearly
negative appreoximation: hardly
absolute negation: not
precision: precicely

What are the semantic roles of peripheral modifiers: frequency, domain, modal and evaluative modifiers

Aight listen this in on p244 but no way is he finna ask this shit.

What are fused-head constructions

Constructions where the head iz combined with nother function that is normally adjacent to the head.

Determiner-head fusion
e.g. The first copy was defective, but the second was OK

the word copy is fused with the determiner second

modifier head fusion:
e.g. What seats have you got? I want the cheapest available
word seats is fused with modifier cheapest
the word class is adjective

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Syntax and semantics

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Phrase structure 2: Modifications and headedness

12 important questions on Phrase structure 2: Modifications and headedness

Let's talk about modification

Let's peep adjectives/ ajp

Distinction between descriptive and classifiers

Aight let us look at premodifiers as -ing/ed forms

Are ing and ed forms adjectives or nouns? Lets take a look

Now let us peep some modifiers as nouns/NPs

Now let's tackle POSTmodifiers

Now lets talk integrated vs supplementive postmodifiers

What are the semantic roles of peripheral modifiers: focusing modifiers

What are the semantic roles of peripheral modifiers: scaling modifiers

What are the semantic roles of peripheral modifiers: frequency, domain, modal and evaluative modifiers

What are fused-head constructions

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