Ch. 11 | Exercise 2

Chapter 11
Information Structuring and Speech Acts

Exercise 11.2
Information Structuring in Sentences

For each of the following sets of sentences, (a) give the unmarked (more “normal” or frequent) synonymous sentence; (b) name the syntactic structures or transformations that have produced the marked sentences; and (c) discuss the differences in information structuring among the forms.

Example : Suicide bombers are easy to spot.
It is easy to spot suicide bombers.
Answer : (a) To spot suicide bombers is easy.
(b) tough -movement
it extraposition
(c) tough movement: suicide bombers is given and topic
it extraposition: to spot suicide bombers is end-focused
unmarked: to spot suicide bombers is topic; easy is new and comment
1.

I had my car stolen yesterday.

My car was stolen yesterday.

2.

He resigned today, the president.

The president, he resigned today.

Today the president resigned.

3.

It is Harold who is upsetting our plans.

What Harold is doing is upsetting our plans.

Harold is the one who is upsetting our plans.

4.

A rumor is circulating that class is canceled next week.

There is a rumor circulating that class is canceled next week.

5.

A good man is hard to find.

It is hard to find a good man.

What's hard to find is a good man.

6.

The tree died of Dutch elm disease.

Dutch elm disease killed the tree.

The tree was killed by Dutch elm disease.

7.

Your cat is certain to return home sooner or later.

It is certain that your cat will return home sooner or later.

Sooner or later your cat is certain to return home.

8.

I was bored by his incessant talking.

It was his incessant talking that bored me.

9.

I find it very tedious visiting relatives.

Visiting relatives I find very tedious.

10.

I bought from my friend a tent, two sleeping bags, and a camp stove.

My friend sold me a tent, two sleeping bags, and a camp stove.

1.
a.

Someone stole my car yesterday.

b.

passive of experience

agentless passive

c.

passive of experience: I is topic

agentless passive: my car is topic; agent is unknown

unmarked: someone is topic

2.
a.

The president resigned today.

b.

right-dislocation

left-dislocation

adverb fronting

c.

right-dislocation: president is end-focused

left-dislocation: president is topic

adverb fronting: today is topic

unmarked: the president is topic

3.
a.

Harold is upsetting our plans.

b.

cleft sentence

pseudo-cleft sentence

one cleft

c.

cleft sentence: Harold is new, possibly contrastive; upsetting our plans is given

pseudo-cleft sentence: what Harold is doing is given; upsetting our plans is new

one cleft: Harold is new and topic; upsetting our plans is comment

unmarked: Harold is old and topic; upsetting our plans is new and comment

4.
a.

A rumor that class is canceled next week is circulating.

b.

extraposition from NP

there insertion

c.

extraposition from NP: that class is canceled is end-focused

there insertion: the entire proposition is end-focused and new

unmarked: a rumor that class is canceled is topic and possibly given; is circulating is comment

5.
a.

To find a good man is hard.

b.

tough movement

it extraposition

pseudo-cleft sentence

c.

tough movement: a good man is topic and given

it extraposition: to find a good man is focused; hard is new

pseudo-cleft sentence: what's hard to find is given and topic; a good man is new and comment, also end-focused

unmarked: to find a good man is topic and given; is hard is comment and new

6.
a.

One of the first two sentences given is unmarked, though it is difficult to say which, perhaps the second.

b.

The first two sentences differ is subject selection.

agented passive

c.

first sentence: the tree is topic and given; died from Dutch elm disease is new and comment

second sentence: Dutch elm disease is topic and given; killed the tree is new and comment

agented passive: the tree is topic and given; was killed by Dutch elm disease is new and comment (this sentence differs from the first in that “Dutch elm disease” is presented as an agent here)

7.
a.

That your cat will return home sooner or later is certain.

b.

subject-to-subject raising

it extraposition

adverb fronting (and subject-to-subject raising)

c.

subject-to-subject raising: your cat is topic and given; is certain to return home sooner or later is comment and new

it extraposition: certain is new; that clause is end-focused

adverb fronting (and subject-to-subject raising): sooner or later is topic and new; the remainder of the sentence is comment and given

unmarked: that clause is topic and given; certain is new and comment

8.
a.

His incessant talking bored me.

b.

be + past participle

cleft sentence

c.

be + past participle: I is topic and given; was bored by his incessant talking is comment and new

cleft sentence: his incessant talking is new and possibly contrastive; that bored me is old and topic

unmarked: his incessant talking is topic and given; bored me is comment and new

9.
a.

I find visiting relatives very tedious.

b.

it extraposition (from object)

fronting

c.

it extraposition (from object): I is topic and given; the remainder of the sentence is comment and new; visiting relatives is end-focused

fronting: visiting relatives is topic and given; I find very tedious is comment and new

unmarked: I is topic and given; find visiting relatives very tedious is comment and new

10.
a.

I bought a tent, two sleeping bags, and a camp stove from my friend. (Either this sentence or the second sentence is unmarked.)

b.

heavy NP shift

subject selection

c.

heavy NP shift: I is topic and given; a tent, two sleeping bags, and a camp stove is end-focused

subject selection: my friend is topic and given

d.

unmarked: I is topic and given