This document provides answers to exercises from Chapter 4 of the textbook "An Introduction to Language" regarding syntax and sentence structure. It includes answers to multiple choice questions about constituent structures, phrase categories, phrase structure rules, and analyzing phrases in terms of heads and complements. Diagrammatic representations of phrase structure trees are also provided as answers.

1. Answers to Chapter 4 online exercises by Katie Dunworth for An Introduction to Language, 6th
edition, Fromkin et al.
© 2009 Cengage Learning Australia Pty Limited
Chapter 4 Answers for online exercises
Exercise 1
Tree Structure 1 Tree Structure 2
Paraphrased meanings Corresponding tree structure (1 or 2)
1. Italian literature teacher
(a) Italian teacher of literature Tree structure 1
(b) teacher of Italian literature Tree structure 2
2. International student organisation
(a) organisation for international students Tree structure 2
(b) international organisation for students Tree structure 1
3. Red brick house
(a) house made of red bricks Tree structure 2
(b) red house made of bricks Tree structure 1
4. Old pig farm
(a) farm for old pigs Tree structure 2
(b) old farm for pigs Tree structure 1
NP
N N Adj Adj N N
NP

2. Part 2 Grammatical aspects of language 2
Chapter 4 Syntax: the sentence patterns of language
Answers to Chapter 4 online exercises by Katie Dunworth for An Introduction to Language, 6th
edition, Fromkin et al.
© 2009 Cengage Learning Australia Pty Limited
Exercise 2
Constituent/not constituent
1. The wind blew across the desert.
not a constituent, add the word ‘desert’ to
create one
2. I wonder if he has finished his essay. constituent
3. The police arrested a suspect. constituent
4. The old house needed painting.
not a constituent, add the word ‘the’ to create
one
5. I don’t believe that a cow jumped over the
moon.
constituent
6. The old couple celebrated their twenty‐
fifth anniversary.
not a constituent, add ‘anniversary’ to create
one
7. He gave up smoking last year. not a constituent, add ‘gave’ to create one
8. There was silence in the examination
room.
not a constituent, add ‘room’ to create one
Exercise 3
Phrase Category
1. the old fence noun phrase
2. in the park prepositional phrase
3. very ugly adjective phrase
4. yellow roses in winter noun phrase
5. that he is telling the truth complementiser phrase
6. made a mess verb phrase
7. strange noises from the kitchen noun phrase
8. appears interesting
verb phrase

3. Part 2 Grammatical aspects of language 3
Chapter 4 Syntax: the sentence patterns of language
Answers to Chapter 4 online exercises by Katie Dunworth for An Introduction to Language, 6th
edition, Fromkin et al.
© 2009 Cengage Learning Australia Pty Limited
Exercise 4
Exercise 5
1. The old woman lived in a cottage.
The [Det] old [Adj] woman [N] lived [V] in [P] a [Det] cottage [N].
2. The audience applauded the brilliant singer.
The [Det] audience [N] applauded [V] the [Det] brilliant [Adj] singer [N].
3. The fridge in the kitchen is getting old.
The [Det] fridge [N] in [P] the [Det] kitchen [N] is [Aux] getting [V] old [Adj].
4. He walked slowly.
He [N] walked [V] slowly [Adv].
5. Ann smoked a cigarette in the garden.
Ann [N] smoked [V] a [Det] cigarette [N] in [P] the [Det] garden [N].
Det
N
V NP
S
NP VP
The man wrote Det N
a letter

4. Part 2 Grammatical aspects of language 4
Chapter 4 Syntax: the sentence patterns of language
Answers to Chapter 4 online exercises by Katie Dunworth for An Introduction to Language, 6th
edition, Fromkin et al.
© 2009 Cengage Learning Australia Pty Limited
Exercise 6
Phrase structure rule Can occur in English (Y/N)
1. NP → N Det no – example: * house the
2. VP → VP PP
yes – example: saw the child through
the window
3. S → Adv S
yes – example: eventually they left
the building
4. CoordP → Coord NP yes – example: and a key
5. CP → C Det VP no – example: *that the drive a car
6. VP → Aux VP
yes – example: might come to the
party
7. PP → NP P no – example: *the room in
8. NP → Det N’ yes – example: the lazy frog
Exercise 7
Sentence
Phrase structure tree
(a, b, c, d, e)
1. The man sat in the library. b
2. The dog bit the visitor. d
3. The baby cried. a
4. The parents said that the children enjoyed the
concert.
e
5. The wildflowers covered the fields in the summer. c

5. Part 2 Grammatical aspects of language 5
Chapter 4 Syntax: the sentence patterns of language
Answers to Chapter 4 online exercises by Katie Dunworth for An Introduction to Language, 6th
edition, Fromkin et al.
© 2009 Cengage Learning Australia Pty Limited
Exercise 8
In the first diagram the man used the knife as a weapon with which to attack the girl. In the
second diagram, the girl was the one with a knife.
S
NP VP
VP PPDet N
V NP P NP
Det N Det N
The man attacked the girl with a knife
S
NP VP
NP
PP
Det N
V
NP
P
NP
Det N
Det N
The man attacked the girl with a knife

6. Part 2 Grammatical aspects of language 6
Chapter 4 Syntax: the sentence patterns of language
Answers to Chapter 4 online exercises by Katie Dunworth for An Introduction to Language, 6th
edition, Fromkin et al.
© 2009 Cengage Learning Australia Pty Limited
Exercise 9
Phrase Head phrase Category Complement Category
1. the love of a child love (N) of a child (PP)
2. desire to be understood desire (N)
to be
understood
(Infinitive)
3. said that he was ill said (V)
that he was
ill
(CP)
4. proud of his achievement proud (Adj)
of his
achievement
(PP)
5. Stop! stop (V),
no
complement
6. thought that I was late thought (V)
that I was
late
(CP)
7. a poem about nature poem (N) about nature (PP)
8. gave the gift to me gave (V)
the gift to
me
(NP PP)
Exercise 10
1. the book with the blue cover NP → NP PP
2. we booked a holiday S → NP VP
3. that the sky is blue CP → C S
4. has left the building VP → Aux VP
5. the beautiful flowers NP → Det N’
6. in the morning PP → P NP
7. thought that it was empty VP → V CP
8. won the competition VP → V NP