Syntax IV

Question 1

Pseudocleft constructions

Answer 1

wh-clause (similar to question) + be + pivot
Pivot = focused constituent
Ex = what I bought was a chair, what i did buy was a chair
More focused

Question 2

Pseudo clefts as constituency tests

Answer 2

only constituent can be pivot in pseudocleft
Can test vps inside VPs via pseudoclefts too

Question 3

ambiguity

Answer 3

old men and women like whiskey = old men and women or old men and old women
= structural ambiguities, arise bc words can be grouped into constituents in several ways
Linear order maps to diff syntactic trees
Sometimes if do tests and replace a more embedded Vp = only 1 meaning possible