Subcategories: Pronouns

Subcategories: Pronouns Lec. 4

Pronouns, lexical or functional categories? • The group of pronouns has the properties of both lexical & functional categories

Pronouns vs. other nouns Nouns Pronouns • John ate the waffle • The TV was annoying Susan and Frank • George’s coat was shredded at the cleaners • He ate the waffle • The TV was annoying them • His coat was shredded at the cleaners

Pronouns vs. other nouns Allowed Not allowed • He left • Peter kissed him • Peter left • Erin kissed Janet • *The him • *Big him • *Hims

Pronouns vs. other nouns • In some ways, pronouns are like other nouns. They can appear in subject and object positions just like nouns, but in other situations they are different. • Subcategories are subtypes of larger categories. So nouns are a category, and pronouns are a subcategory of nouns.

Feature Notation • We can indicate a subcategory with a feature structure. • Feature structuresare notations associated with a word to indicate the properties of a word. • Features are indicated between square brackets • E.g. Dog [CATEGORY N]

Example • He CATEGORY N SUBCAT + D We need to add further features: CASE, AGR – φ GEND, NUM, PERS

example • He CATEGORY N SUBCAT + D CASE Nom GEND masc AGR – φ NUM sg PERS 3

example • You CATEGORY N SUBCAT + D CASE Poss AGR – φ GEND masc NUM sg PERS 2

Exercise • Him CATEGORY CASE AGR – φ GEND NUM PERS

Exercise • She CATEGORY CASE AGR – φ GEND NUM PERS

Exercise • I CATEGORY CASE AGR – φ GEND NUM PERS

Exercise • Our CATEGORY CASE AGR – φ GEND NUM PERS

Exercise • Her CATEGORY CASE AGR – φ GEND NUM PERS

Reflexive pronouns • Reflexive pronouns or anaphors end in –self or –selves. • E.g. I saw myself He saw himself She saw herself We saw ourselves They saw themselves *I saw herself *you saw myself *he saw themselves

Exercise • himself CATEGORY N SUBCAT + D + R CASE AGR – φ GEND masc NUM sg PERS 3

Exercise • ourselves CATEGORY CASE AGR – φ GEND NUM PERS

Subcategories: Pronouns