Yet, another tree diagram question.

[Bmack]

I was trying to do the exercise below. It ask that you draw a tree diagram with the sentence
The very small boy kissed the platypus.
| | | | | | |
det adv adj N verb det N

The word very is an adverb followed by an adjective. Looking at the rules available
S-adv S,
VP- Adv Vp
and Vp-Vp Adv. makes it hard to draw a tree from what I understand because

“The” is a determiner and very is an adverb. The only way to get Det is through the rule NP-Det N'.

I am lost at how to construct a tree from this, the only thing I can come up with is that this is an adverb phrase...but does that even make sense?

[Super Sonic]

Hi Bmack,

We went over exactly the same example last week in our Syntax class :D
I don't know how I could draw a tree here, but I can help you with the phrasal structures I think.

"The very small boy" is an NP because the head of the phrase is a noun: S-NP-D-The/NP-AP-AP-A-very/NP-AP-A-small/NP-N-boy,

"kissed the platypus" is a VP because the head is a verb: S-VP-V-kissed/VP-NP-D-the/VP-NP-N-platypus. I hope I was clear.

P.S.: Not a teacher nor a native speaker, just a Linguistics student.

[Bmack]

Hi Bmack,

We went over exactly the same example last week in our Syntax class :D
I don't know how I could draw a tree here, but I can help you with the phrasal structures I think.

"The very small boy" is an NP because the head of the phrase is a noun: S-NP-D-The/NP-AP-AP-A-very/NP-AP-A-small/NP-N-boy,

"kissed the platypus" is a VP because the head is a verb: S-VP-V-kissed/VP-NP-D-the/VP-NP-N-platypus. I hope I was clear.

P.S.: Not a teacher nor a native speaker, just a Linguistics student.

I think I understand what you mean. When you have AP you mean adverb phrase and adj phrase?

[Super Sonic]

According to my textbook, an AP stands for both an adjective phrase and an adverb phrase, but I suggest that you wait for an expert.