Syntax: Phrase Structure Rules 1.1

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Phrase structure rules demonstrate language specific constraints that account for how grammatical phrases and sentences are formed. This exercise familiarize will you with the rules that generate phrasal structures in Standard English. For a brief introduction on this topic, read our tutorial "An Introduction to Phrase Structure Rules" found in the list of syntax tutorials.

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Question 1

Select the sequence that is NOT a possible expansion of the American English NP Rule.

A	NP → N A
B	NP → A A N Hint: A noun may be modified by more than one preceding adjective.
C	NP → N PP S Hint: A noun may be followed by both a prepositional phrase and a relative clause within its NP.

Question 1 Explanation:

A noun may not be followed by an adjective.

Question 2

Select the sequence that is NOT a possible expansion of the American English VP Rule.

A	VP →V NP Hint: A transitive verb is followed by a noun phrase object within the VP.
B	VP →V Hint: A transitive verb is followed by a noun phrase object within the VP
C	VP → NP V

Question 3

Select the phrase structure rule that applies to American English.

A	PP → P D N Hint: The placement of determiner relative to noun is provided for by the NP rule, and thus need not be redundantly specified in the PP rule.
B	PP → NP P Hint: In English, prepositions precede the noun phrases they govern.
C	PP→ P NP

Question 4

Select the sequence that is NOT a possible expansion of the American English VP Rule.

A	VP →V NP AP Hint: With certain verbs, a direct object noun phrase may be followed by an adjective phrase within the verb phrase.
B	VP → V S Hint: A verb may take a subordinate/dependent clause as its sole complement within its phrase.
C	VP →V AP NP

Question 4 Explanation:

A direct object noun phrase may be followed by an adjective phrase within the verb phrase, however the opposite is not possible.

Question 5

Select the sequence that is NOT a possible expansion of the American English NP Rule.

A	NP → D N Hint: A noun may be preceded by just a determiner and followed by nothing in its NP.
B	NP → A N Hint: A noun may be preceded by just a single adjective and followed by nothing in its NP.
C	NP → P N

Question 5 Explanation:

A noun may not be preceeded by a single preposition in its NP.

Question 6

Select the sequence that is NOT a possible expansion of the American English NP Rule.

A	NP → A N Hint: A noun may be preceded by just a single adjective and followed by nothing in its NP.
B	NP → D N Hint: A noun may be preceded by just a determiner and followed by nothing in its NP.
C	NP → P N

Question 6 Explanation:

A noun may not be preceded by a single preposition in its NP.

Question 7

Select the sequence that is NOT a possible expansion of the American English VP Rule.

A	VP →V NP PP Hint: When a noun phrase and a prepositional phrase both occur in a VP, the noun phrase precedes the prepositional phrase.
B	VP →V PP NP
C	VP →V PP Hint: A verb may be followed by just a PP within its VP.

Question 7 Explanation:

When a noun phrase and a prepositional phrase both occur in a VP, the noun phrase must precede the prepositional phrase.

Question 8

Select the phrase structure rule that applies to American English.

A	NP → D N Hint: NP → D N is one of a number of possible expansions of the NP rule.
B	PP → P NP
C	S → N V Hint: A sentence may consist of only a noun and a verb, but the noun is in fact a one-word subject noun phrase 'NP' , while the verb is a one-word verb phrase predicate 'VP'.

Question 9

Select the phrase structure rule that applies to American English.

A	S→ NP VP PP Hint: Only the subject noun phrase and the predicate verb phrase may be direct constituents of a sentence 'S'. Prepositional phrases may only occur inside phrases smaller than S, such as NP and VP.
B	S → VP NP Hint: In English, the subject precedes the predicate.
C	S → NP VP

Question 10

Select the phrase structure rule that applies to American English.

A	AP → D A N Hint: Determiner - adjective - noun is a possible expansion of the noun phrase rule, not the adjective phrase rule.
B	AP → Adv A PP Hint: Adverb - adjective - prepositional phrase is only one of a number of possible expansions of the adjectival phrase 'AP' rule.
C	AP → (Adv) A ({PP,S})

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