Exercise 1
Directions: Put a tick mark ( ? ) in front of an acceptable sentence and put an asterisk ( * ) in front of a sentence which does not sound right. Discuss with your partner what determines your answers.
1. ___________ The girl disappeared.
2. ___________ Disappeared the girl.
3. ___________ The girl disappeared her friend.
4. ___________ The girl her friend disappeared.
5. ___________ The girl disappeared.
Hint: How many NPs are there in the acceptable sentence(s)?
Generalization 1: _______________________________________________________________
Hint: What is the position of the NP in the acceptable sentence?
Generalization 2: _______________________________________________________________
Hint: What is the construction of the acceptable sentence with the verb ‘disappear’?
Generalization 3: _______________________________________________________________

Exercise 2
Directions: Put a tick mark ( ? ) in front of an acceptable sentence and put an asterisk ( * ) in front of a sentence which does not sound right. Discuss with your partner what determines your answers.
1. ___________ The professor proved the theory.
2. ___________ The professor proved.
3. ___________ The professor proved his students.
4. ___________ Proved the theory the professor.
5. ___________ The theory proved the professor.
6. ___________ His students the professor proved.
7. ___________ Proved the professor the theory.
Hint: How many NPs are there in the acceptable sentence(s)?
Generalization 1: _______________________________________________________________
Hint: What is/are the construction(s) of the acceptable sentence(s) with ‘prove’?
Generalization 2: _______________________________________________________________
Hint: Can any NPs be a valid subject and object of ‘prove’ in the acceptable sentence(s)?
Generalization 3: _______________________________________________________________