Basic English Grammar with Exercises

Suggested Answers and Hints - Chapter 6

(2) vP

vP AP

DP v' again

John v VP

close 1 v DP V'

e the window V

t 1

(3) vp

DP v'

John v VP

close 1 v VP AP

e DP V' again

the window V

t 1

Exercise 7

agents: a, d, i; themes: b, f, j; experiencers: c, e, h, the expletive subject in g has no

theta-role

Chapter

Check Questions

Q1 As a preliminary assumption it may be assumed that finite clauses contain finite

inflection. What this amounts to is that in a finite clause there is agreement with the

subject in number and person, and there is some independent tense marking available as

well. In a non-finite clause agreement with the subject is not so straightforward, and its

tense will depend on the tense of some other finite clause. Less traditionally speaking,

another diagnostic to distinguish between the two clause-types is the form of the

complementiser introducing them: finite clauses can occur with that while non-finite

clauses with for. This is somewhat unreliable, though, as not all non-finite clauses can

occur with for, this is only to say that if a clause can, then it is non-finite. Thirdly, finite

clauses can occur in isolation or as embedded clauses, while non-finite clauses can only