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Eng 410: Advanced Description Of Modern Grammar Question Paper
Eng 410: Advanced Description Of Modern Grammar
Course:Bachelor Of Journalism And Mass Communication
Institution: Masinde Muliro University Of Science And Technology question papers
Exam Year:2008
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MASINDE MULIRO UNIVERSITY OF SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY(MMUST)
UNIVERSITY EXAMINATIONS
2008/2009 ACADEMIC YEAR
FOURTH YEAR FIRST SEMESTER EXAMINATIONS
FOR THE DEGREE OF BACHELOR OF EDUCATION (ARTS)
COURSE CODE: ENG 410
COURSE TITLE: ADVANCED DESCRIPTION OF MODERN GRAMMAR
DATE: 1st December 2008 TIME: 11.30 a.m. – 2.30 p.m.
INSTRUCTIONS TO CANDIDATES
Answer question one (compulsory) and any other three questions.
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1. a) Competence is infinite rule-governed creativity. Explain the significance
of this assertion within the realm of grammar. (5 marks)
b) Basing your argumentation on case theory, explain why each of the
following strings is anomalous. (6 marks)
i) He to abuse the elders annoyed everybody in the hall.
ii) The principal was happy them.
iii) They got a lot of money from we.
c) Capture the X-bar representation of the following linguistic unit:
The students of linguistics whom I talked to. (2 marks)
d) Citing an appropriate principle in each case, explain why each of the
following sentences is deviant: (6 marks)
i) The students drank the scissors
ii) Our teacher bought us
iii) The nuns walked the bible.
Hence provide a relevant frame for each sentence. (3 marks)
e) Show and explain the derivation of the passive structure of the following
kernel from the deep structure.
Joseph could have rung the lunch bell. (3 marks)
2. Using examples in English for illustration, distinguish between each pair of the
following concepts:
i) Pied piping and prepositional standing.
ii) Precedence and dominance.
iii) Deep structure and surface structure.
3. “A great deal of the grammatical terminology and many of the concepts used in
linguistic theory derive from traditional grammar and that ultimately, Western
linguistics derives from Greek preoccupation with languages”.(Kirstein, 1991:
478). From this assertion, assess the contributions of Priscian’s grammar to the
study of modern grammar.
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4 a) Show the x-bar representation of the following sentence.
Jane says that Brian thinks that the workers resigned. (3marks)
b) Capture and explain the derivation of each of the following S-structure
strings: (12 marks)
i) What did the farmers plant?
ii) Put the cups in the boxes.
iii) Couldn’t the boys be early for class?
iv) The traders might have been displaying their merchandise.
5. Using an example in English in each case, explain the validity of each of the
following syntactic assertions:
i) In ECM (exceptional case marking), the constituent of a higher clause
assigns case to the constituent of a lower clause.
ii) That a reflexive and its antecedent must agree with respect to their
nominal features.
iii) That in distransitive predicates, the movement is either optional or
obligatory depending on the nature of the direct object NP.
iv) That a node A C-commands a node B if and only if the first branching
node dominating A also dominates node B , and neither A dominates B,
nor B dominates A.
v) That within the x-bar theory, each phrase XP has one unique, structurally
obligatory element (X) with a number projections.
6. a) Briefly discuss any two levels of the grammatical adequacy of a linguistic
theory. (8 marks)
b) Explain the limitations of PS grammar using examples in English. (7 marks)
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