Update on my binding stuff with questions

1. Binding

2. This is easy

3. Let’s be Minimalists!!

4. Keep it simple!!

5. Keep it EASY

6. Phrases have heads

7. Some heads ARE phrases

8. Or some phrases are heads

9. Verb phrase and noun phrase

10. Is it a DetPhrase?

11. What do you think?

12. Det P with Det head?

13. Or this?

14. NP with N head?

15. Det P with Det head?

16. NP with N head?

17. You don’t care?
• Neither
• Do
• I
• Just make sure your phrases have heads
• And have fun playing with it

18. Maybe a determiner is a bit like a head

19. But N is the real head?

20. Who cares?

21. Just make sure your phrases HAVE
heads!

22. Phrases have heads

23. You prefer DetP?

24. No problem – but PHRASES have
heads!!

25. Phrases have heads

26. How about this?

27. Sentence is a Verb Phrase

28. The verb is the head

29. VP has a head

30. NP has a head

31. Taro is both phrase and head

32. Flat sentence structure

33. Usually like this

34. The subject is “higher up”

35. Sentence is a special Verb Phrase

36. Phrases have heads

37. Phrases have heads!!!!!!

38. PHRASES HAVE HEADS!!!!!!!!!!!

39. Forget about IP or TP

40. Look at this fantastic Minimalism!

41. Let’s keep it simple!

42. NOT like this!

43. Ancient astronomy

44. Minimalism

45. Keep it simple

46. But why is the subject “higher”?

47. Why not this!

48. It’s simpler

49. Taro loves himself

50. This is grammatical

51. “himself” refers to Taro

52. No problem

53. Taro comes before himself

54. And it’s “higher up”

55. Maybe we need this structure

56. Maybe

57. Subjects are “higher” than objects

58. But this doesn’t work

59. him could refer to another male
person

60. But it cannot refer to Taro

61. So him can be Ichiro or Ken, but NOT
Taro

62. • Himself
• Herself
• Itself
• Themselves
• Ourselves
• These expressions look for an antecedent that
is structurally close

63. • Antecedent:
• A word or expression that (usually) comes
before and gives its meaning to another word
• Postcedent example:
• When he has finished his homework, I’ll speak
to Taro.

64. Taro is structurally close enough

65. Taro thinks that Hanako loves him

66. Phrases have HEADS!

67. This is OK

68. Taro is outside the complement
sentence

69. him can be Taro OR some other male
person

70. “Taro thinks that Hanako loves
himself” is no good

71. • Taro thinks that Hanako loves himself.
• No good
• himself needs a structurally close antecedent.
• Taro thinks that Hanako loves him.
• This is OK
• Taro is not too close to him.

72. We nominated ourselves

73. This is OK

74. This is no good

75. himself needs a structurally close
antecedent

76. Hanako cannot match himself

77. Unless Hanako is actually male!

78. OK, so how about this?

79. Taro wants to improve himself

80. No problem

81. Taro is close enough to himself

82. The verb “improve” is untensed

83. “to improve himself” is an infinitival
clause

84. Notice that Taro is the subject of wants

85. Taro is the wanter

86. But Taro ALSO seems to be the
improver

87. It’s like Taro is the subject of two
clauses

88. Taro is the logical subject of the [-
tense clause]

89. What about this?

90. Look what happens here

91. Hanako is the object of wants

92. And Hanako is the logical subject of
the [-tense clause]

93. Now it’s him, not himself

94. “Taro wants Hanako to like himself”
A bit strange

95. Hanako blocks the reference for
himself

96. • Taro wants Hanako to like herself
• That’s OK
• Hanako is close enough to herself

97. How about this?

98. Seems fine

99. her doesn’t block himself from
matching He

100. This seems OK

101. him can match He

102. “He wants her to see a picture of
himself” Seems a little strange

103. Logical subject seems wrong

104. her is the logical subject of [-tense
clause]

105. • He wants her to see a picture of him
• ??He/x wants her to see a picture of himself
• ?? I want you to see a picture of myself
• I want you to see a picture of me

106. I want you to see a picture of yourself

107. yourself goes with the logical subject

108. This one’s no good

109. This one’s good

110. The logical subject you is too close to
you in the picture NP

111. Seems like you is the subject of [-tense
clause]

112. Why?

113. Did it start off there and move?

114. Or is it to do with the verb want?

115. Maybe it’s the information in want?

116. Maybe it’s NOT all about structure

117. Or maybe there is structure IN words

118. Questions
• I bought it (VP) or sentence

119. I is both head and phrase

120. It is both head and phrase

121. Sentence is a kind of VP

122. • the book (NP)
• the book (DP)
• loves himself (VP)

123. Loves himself

124. • the large cup on the table (NP)
• the large cup on the table (DP)

125. The large cup on the table (NP)

126. The large cup on the table (DP)

127. Is it NP?

128. Or DP?

129. I don’t care

130. Maybe you’re wondering …

131. Why do I keep saying I don’t care?

132. It’s because I don’t care

133. But phrases have heads!!!!!!

134. Phrases have heads!!!!

135. • the three blind mice (NP)
• the three blind mice (DP)
• the three blind mice (DP)
• Either is OK as long as your phrases have
heads!!

136. • on the floor (PP)
• Prepositional Phrase
• Preposition is the head

137. PP has P head!!!

138. PHRASES have heads!!!!

139. • walked to the store (VP)
• behind the counter (PP)
• She saw him. (VP – sentence)
• kicked it (VP)

140. walked to the store (VP)

141. Should be the NOT three

142. The store can be DP if you prefer

143. I don’t care

144. She saw him (VP – sentence)

145. Main points
• Phrases have heads
• Phrases have heads
• Phrases have heads
• Phrases have heads
• Phrases have heads
• Phrases have heads

146. • Some phrases ARE heads
• Some heads ARE phrases

147. • A sentence is a kind of VP
• The verb is the head of the sentence

148. Unless you prefer this

149. Ancient astronomy