Web Activity 2.2 Finding structure in language

Example 1

Where can and appear in English?

The conjunction and is used to join words or phrases in English, but it can not appear just anywhere. Can you describe the places where it can be used as a connector? How do you think English-learning children would figure out the correct patterns?

(Note: The asterisk * is used to mark that a sentence is unacceptable to most native speakers.)

• Sandra and Didi are coming over tonight.
• Sandra and her daughters are coming over tonight.
• Sandra and two of her rambunctious daughters are coming over tonight.
• Didi is coming over tonight and tomorrow.
• Didi is coming over tonight and every Thursday of next month.
• Tim likes to run and climb.
• Tim likes to run marathons with his wife and climb.
• Tim likes to run and his wife likes to climb mountains.
• The winning pig was large and pink.
• Cymbria went to Tibet and France.

• *Dan loves Fiona and to run.
• *Cymbria went to New York and crazy.
• *The baby wants furry and two bunnies.
• *Diane believes pigs fly and Colleen.

Example 2

Can prepositional phrases appear at the beginning of a sentence in English?

Consider the examples below. Why are prepositional phrases (phrases beginning with on, from, with, or other prepositions) allowed at the beginning of a sentence some of the time, but not always? Can you articulate a generalization?

Siobhan has her singing lessons on Tuesday.

On Tuesdays, Siobhan has her singing lessons.

Svitlana read a book on the train.

On the train, Svitlana read a book.

It takes about four hours to drive to Lyon from Paris.

From Paris, it takes about four hours to drive to Lyon.

 

Siobhan heard a lecture on Proust.

*On Proust, Siobhan heard a lecture.

Svitlana read a book on the Civil War.

*On the Civil War, Svitlana read a book.

Jenny opened the letter from Paris.

*From Paris, Jenny opened the letter.

Example 3

Verbs in Semitic languages

It’s common for verbs to change their shape and convey information about whether the action took place in the past or present, or about who is initiating the action. (For example, in English: I play, he plays, we played.) But the verbs of Semitic languages spoken in the Middle East change their shape in quite unusual ways. Consider the examples from Egyptian Arabic below:

katab	“he wrote”	daras	“he studied”
baktib	“I write”	badris	“I study”
iktib	“Write!”	idris	“Study!”
kaatib	“writer”	daaris	“studier”
maktuub	“written”	madruus	“studied”

Can you get a handle on the pattern that drives the changes in verbs? To say “he copied” in Egyptian Arabic, you would say na’al (where the symbol ’ denotes a glottal stop the consonant sound you make in the middle of the expression “uh oh.”). In this language, how would you pronounce “I copy,” “copier,” or “copied”?