Phrasesthen you have evidence that the sequence is not a unified NP. Now apply
the same test to the sequence in (32b). Follow the same procedure and
logic. You should find again that in (32a) the picture on the wall is an NP,
but that in (32b) the picture on the wall is not.
- You will recall also that movement is a good test for phrasehood. The
active-passive relationship you read about in our chapter on Minor Parts
of Speech provides the basis for a movement test that can identify NPs.
Recall from that discussion that the passive subject NP corresponds to
the active object NP and the active subject NP corresponds to the NP
that is the object of passive by. These correspondences are indicated by
subscripts in:
Active: [ 1 Masked raiders] breached [ 2 the security system].
Passive: [ 2 The security system] was breached by [ 1 masked raiders].
Given that subjects are generally NPs, if an expression can be turned
into a passive subject then it is an NP. We can apply this test to (32a,b):
(32) a. Woody admired the picture on the wall.
c. The picture on the wall was admired by Woody.
Because (32c) is grammatical the sequence the picture on the wall
must be an NP in (32a).
(32) b. Woody put the picture on the wall.
d. *The picture on the wall was put by Woody.
Because (32d) is ungrammatical, the sequence the picture on the wall
cannot be an NP in (32b).
Use the passive test to show that the italicized phrases in the follow-
ing sentences are NPs:
a. Grammatical tests prove grammatical categorizations.
b. Teenagers mow lawns.
c. Obsessive-compulsives write grammar books.
d. The military developed the internet.
e. The teachers forced the unfortunate students to read grammar
books.