Question

Assuming that the sentence follows the phrase structure rules given below, decide whether the sentence is a kernel sentence or a transform. S→NP+VP NP→(DET)N VP→V(NP) The dog injured his paw.

a) Kernel Sentence
b) Transform

Answer 1

The sentence 'The dog injured his paw' is a kernel sentence because it follows the given phrase structure rules and contains a noun phrase and a verb phrase without any additional transforms.

Step-by-step explanation:

The sentence 'The dog injured his paw' is a kernel sentence. By applying the given phrase structure rules, we can analyze the sentence as follows: The dog serves as the noun phrase (NP) where 'the' is the determiner (DET) and 'dog' is the noun (N). The verb phrase (VP) in this sentence is 'injured his paw', where 'injured' is the transitive verb (V) and 'his paw' is the direct object noun phrase (NP). There is no indirect object or object complement in this sentence, which typically would follow the direct object. Therefore, given the structure S→NP+VP, where NP→(DET)N and VP→V(NP), this sentence fits the pattern perfectly and can be identified as a kernel sentence rather than a transform.