This document discusses different types of temporal and positional relationships in language syntax, including: 1) Temporal relations can depend on context, such as the expected order of a husband and wife entering a home versus a restaurant. 2) Languages have different rules for word and phrase order, such as prepositional phrases preceding nouns in English but following nouns in Japanese. 3) Several types of adpositional phrases are described, including prepositional, postpositional, and circumpositional phrases, which involve a preposition and postposition around a complement.

1. Temporal relations: some possibilities
2.4 CONTEXT
Temporal relations in Syntax: some facts
3.3 CONTEXT

2. Temporal relations: some possibilities
2.4 CONTEXT
• How two events are ordered may depend on the situation.
 Husband are expected to go before their wives when entering a restaurant.
 Husband will yield to their wives when entering their home.
 ‘husband entering before wife’
 ‘wife entering before husbands’
• So, neither of the two orders holds in all situations but each holds under
certain conditions.

3. Temporal relations: some possibilities
2.4 CONTEXT
• The order of words can be similarly context-dependent.
E.g
 Sam has read the paper. - Statement
 Has Sam read the paper? - Question
 The star-shaped kite glided through the air.
 The attractive, brilliant singer received a standing ovation.
 une table ronde (French)- round table
 une femme américaine (French )- American woman

4. Temporal relations in Syntax: some facts
3.3 CONTEXT
• Many order rules apply in one language but not in others.
(a) (ADP, NP)  ADP & NP / ENGLISH
Example: of John
(b) (ADP, NP)  NP & ADP / JAPENES
Example: John no’ of John

5. Adpositional Phrase
• An adpositional phrase is a linguistics term defining a syntactic category that
includes prepositional phrases, postpositional phrases, and circumpositional phrases.
• Language syntax treats adpositional phrases as units that act as
arguments or adjuncts.
• Adpositional phrases contain an adposition (preposition, postposition, or
circumposition) as head and usually a complement such as a noun phrase.

6. Nouns with Prepositions
• A noun by adding a prepositional phrase after it.
Example
 Four men on holiday were in the car.
 A sound behind him made him turn.
 She gave a brief account of her interview.
 There was a picture of them both in the newspaper.

7. Verbs with Prepositions
• Many verbs that are used without an object are normally followed by a
prepositional phrase.
Example:
 The land belongs to a rich family.
 She then referred to the Minister’s
 They agreed on a plan of action.

8. Adjectives with Prepositions
• Some adjectives can be used alone, or followed by a particular preposition.
• Used alone, or with ‘of ’ to specify the cause of a feeling
Example:
 They may feel jealous of your success
 I was terrified of her.
• Used alone, or with ‘of ’ to specify the person who has a quality
Example:
 That was clever of you.
 I turned the job down, which was stupid of me.

9. Adverbs with Preposition
• Use a prepositional phrase as an adverb to modify a verb, an adjective, or
another adverb.
Example:
 A leader assists in problem solving.
 A motivated employee completes all assignments. with enthusiasm

10. Postpositional Phrases
• Postpositional elements are frequent in head-final languages such as Basque, Estonian, Finnish,
Georgian, Korean, Japanese, Hindi, Urdu, Bengali and Tamil.
• The word or other morpheme that corresponds to an English preposition occurs after its complement,
hence the name postposition.
• The following examples are from Japanese, where the case markers perform a role similar to that of
adpositions:
a. ..mise ni
store to = 'to the store‘
b. ..ie kara
house from = 'from the house'
c. ..hashi de
chopsticks with = 'with chopsticks' or 'on the bridge'

11. Circumpositional Phrases
• Circumpositional phrases involve both a preposition and a postposition, where by the
complement appears between the two.
• English has at least one circumpositional construction, e.g.
a. From now on, he won't help.
German has more of them, e.g.
b. Von mir aus kannst du das machen.
From me out can you that do = 'As far as I'm concerned, you can do it.'
c. Um der Freundschaft willen sollst du es machen.
around the friendship sake should you it do = 'For the sake of friendship, you should
do it.'

12. In the addition to the choice of language, structural characteristics of sentences
may also limit the applicability of a rule. This is illustrated in (2).
(a) The plane should arrive at 6 pm.
When should the plane arrive?
(b) All papers must be in by Friday.
When must all paper be in?

13. • In declarative sentences, the order is subject before auxiliary; in (certain)
interrogative sentences, it is auxiliary before subject.
• The choice between the two orders in conditioned by the presence and
absence of the question words when or where.
• Certain additional restriction aside, the relevant rule, with both intrasentential and language context specified, is given in (3).
• (AUX, SBJ)  AUX & SBJ / #WHQ--------------English