TreeTree-diagram

A tall man NP Det Art a AdjP A tall NP NP N man All the lines in the tree are known by the technical term branches. Each point in the tree that has a category label or else an actual word attached to it is known as a node. We find phrasal nodes NP, VP and PP (nodes denoting the phrases in the tree), and also S. We also see the lexical nodes V, P, D and N (nodes indicating word-level elements), and the actual lexical items (words).

A tall man in the corner NP

Each node immediately dominates the next node below it, providing they are connected by a branch, and providing no other node intervenes. A node which immediately dominates another node or set of nodes is their mother, for example, PP is the mother of P and NP. P and NP2 are the daughters of PP. In the same vein, the set of daughters sharing the same mother are known as sisters.

N'

Art A

AdjP Adj' N

N' PP

tall

man

P in

NP D Art the N' N corner

A well written book NP Det a NP NP AdjP Int well written book A N

a

A well written book on syntax NP Det Art Int NP NP AP A NP NP N PP P P on NP N syntax

well written book

A former linguist with blond hair

NP D NP'

Noun Phrase Tree Diagrams

NP'

Art

AdjP

Adj'

PP

former

linguist

NP

with

AdjP Adj Adj Adj blonde

N' N hair

that man from Liverpool a very recently published book a well acclaimed book about a poor man from Liverpool a white house near a barn with a collapsed roof my mother and father a classroom with a big screen and a projector a poor mans broken dreams Joes cute little caf with an outdoor terrace in the sun.

Adjective Phrase Tree Diagrams

curious about linguistics upset about the newly released book very exciting and dangerous extremely interested in syntax

Verb Phrase Tree Diagrams

repaired the telephone move towards the window cast a spell on the broomstick draw beautiful pictures saw a person from Spain send my mother a bouquet of flowers tell the truth to their friends found the guilty children found the children guilty

Kim bought that book with her first wages. S NP N Kim V VP VP NP N P Det VP PP NP

My brother applied for this job.

S NP Det My N brother V V applied for P VP PP N Det this N job

bought Det

NP NP Adj N wages

that book with her

first

Draw the tree diagrams for the following sentences:

1. 2. 3. 4.

Some people are dancing on the beach. I bought some books on Syntax yesterday. The beauty beautys kiss turned the frog into a prince. In her eyes, the room was like a section of a museum of bygones.