Complements and Adjuncts

week 6

Descriptive Grammar
Syntax
Descriptive Grammar

Konrad Szczeniak
University of Silesia

DEFINITION
complement an element selected by its head. It appears in the structure on the strength of an invitation from another element.

I received a letter. She went to Glasgow.

Syntax
Descriptive Grammar

Konrad Szczeniak
University of Silesia

DEFINITION
adjunct optional addition that modifies other elements. She danced on the table. She went to Glasgow without a goodbye.

Syntax
Descriptive Grammar

Konrad Szczeniak
University of Silesia

PROPERTIES
Omitting a complement:
1. produces

an ungrammatical sentence: *Julia powiedziaa, e. 2. is possible when context supplies the missing information: She knows. 3. changes the meaning: Rick swallowed hard. Jason drinks.
Syntax
Descriptive Grammar

Konrad Szczeniak
University of Silesia

TYPES OF COMPLEMENTS
complement verbal complement subject complement object complement clausal complement remove a stain She seems nice. She called me a fool. She thinks Im nice.

Syntax
Descriptive Grammar

Konrad Szczeniak
University of Silesia

TYPES OF COMPLEMENTS
verbs as complements I want to break free. He can run, but he cant hide. I have landed. Im going slightly mad.

What do all these complements have in common?

Syntax
Descriptive Grammar

Konrad Szczeniak
University of Silesia

TYPES OF COMPLEMENTS
verbs as complements I want to break free. He can run, but he cant hide. I have landed. Im going slightly mad.

All are non-finite forms. Exactly, what kinds of non-finite forms?

Syntax
Descriptive Grammar

Konrad Szczeniak
University of Silesia

TYPES OF COMPLEMENTS
verbs as complements I want to break free. (to-infinitive) He can run, but he cant hide. (zero infinitive) I have landed. (past participle) Im going slightly mad. (present participle)

All are non-finite forms. Exactly, what kinds of non-finite forms?

Syntax
Descriptive Grammar

Konrad Szczeniak
University of Silesia

COMPLEMENT OR ADJUNCT?
prepositional phrase complements of adjectives
proud of you angry at me aware of his existence jealous of her sister familiar with the technique Can the PPs be omitted?
Syntax
Descriptive Grammar

Konrad Szczeniak
University of Silesia

LEXICAL SPECIFICATION
prepositional phrase complements of adjectives
proud of you (cf. *proud from you, *to you) angry at me / with me (cf. *angry regarding you) aware of his existence jealous of her sister familiar with the technique They are complements. Complement PPs are lexically specified.
Syntax
Descriptive Grammar

Konrad Szczeniak
University of Silesia

LEXICAL SPECIFICATION
complements of nouns
Which of the two is a complement?
(1) (2)

professor with freckles

professor of physics

Neither seems obligatory, but theres a sense that (1) feels more like a complement than (2).

Syntax
Descriptive Grammar

Konrad Szczeniak
University of Silesia

LEXICAL SPECIFICATION
complements of nouns
professor with freckles red-head with freckles hot babe with freckles guy with freckles kid with freckles professor of physics *red-head of physics *hot babe of physics *guy of physics *kid of physics

of physics can be selected only by nouns like professor

Syntax
Descriptive Grammar

Konrad Szczeniak
University of Silesia

TEST FOR COMPLEMENTS

professor of physics with freckles *professor with freckles of physics
PP of physics is closer to the head than PP with freckles
NP

NP

PP

MINIMAL PHRASE = head + (complement) NON-MINIMAL PHRASE = MINIMAL PHRASE + adjunct

PP

with freckles

professor

of physics

MINIMAL PHRASE NON-MINIMAL PHRASE

Syntax
Descriptive Grammar

Konrad Szczeniak
University of Silesia

TEST FOR COMPLEMENTS

Which phrase (minimal or non-minimal) is replaced by the one?
You like the professor with freckles, and you like the one with an afro. You like the professor of physics, and I like the one of biology. I met that student from Spain, not the one from Denmark. The president invited the King of Spain, but forgot the one of Denmark.

Syntax
Descriptive Grammar

Konrad Szczeniak
University of Silesia

TEST FOR COMPLEMENTS

Which phrase (minimal or non-minimal) is replaced by the one?
NP

NP

PP

PP

with freckles

professor

of physics

the one

Syntax
Descriptive Grammar

Konrad Szczeniak
University of Silesia

TEST FOR COMPLEMENTS

The do so Test which one is grammatical?
Lola danced on the table, and Rita did so on the bed. Lola put her dress on the table, and Rita did so on the bed.

Syntax
Descriptive Grammar

Konrad Szczeniak
University of Silesia

TEST FOR COMPLEMENTS

The do so Test which one is grammatical?
Lola danced rumba on the table, and Rita did so on the bed. Lola put her dress on the table, and Rita did so on the bed.
VP

VP

PP

NP on the table

danced

rumba

did so

Syntax
Descriptive Grammar

Konrad Szczeniak
University of Silesia

TEST FOR COMPLEMENTS

The do so Test which one is grammatical?
Lola danced rumba on the table, and Rita did so on the bed. Lola put her dress on the table, and Rita did so on the bed.
VP

Rita did so on the bed = put her bed on the table on the bed.
PP

VP

NP on the table

put

her dress

did so

Syntax
Descriptive Grammar

Konrad Szczeniak
University of Silesia

TEST FOR COMPLEMENTS

The do so & the one phrases both operate on the minimal phrase level.
XP

They both behave the same On an abstract level, they are sensitive to the same abstract categories of head+complement.
XP

XP

And they see the difference between complement and adjunct.

XP

adjunct

head

complement

the one & do so

Syntax
Descriptive Grammar

Konrad Szczeniak
University of Silesia