Manual


Yes/no questions have category S[q]. wh-questions have category S[wq]. Other utterances have neither of these categories, even when followed by a question mark. For example:

Did
(S[q]/(S[b]\NP))/NP
you
NP
S[q]/(S[b]\NP)
> 0
sleep
S[b]\NP
S[q]
> 0
?
S[q]\S[q]
S[q]
< 0
Who
S[wq]/(S[q]/NP)
did
(S[q]/(S[b]\NP))/NP
you
NP
S[q]/(S[b]\NP)
> 0
see
(S[b]\NP)/NP
S[q]/NP
> 1
S[wq]
> 0
?
S[wq]\S[wq]
S[wq]
< 0
Excuse
(S[b]\NP)/NP
me
NP
S[b]\NP
> 0
?
(S[b]\NP)\(S[b]\NP)
S[b]\NP
< 0

In Italian, yes/no questions have the same word order as declarative sentences. Nevertheless, the verbs have S[q] categories then. Do not use the question mark to change the category:

Vuoi
S[q]/(S[b]\NP)
parlare
S[b]\NP
S[q]
> 0
?
S[q]\S[q]
S[q]
< 0

wh-phrases representing an extracted subject (or predicate noun in a non-existential copula sentence) have category S[wq]/(S[dcl]\NP):

Who
S[wq]/(S[dcl]\NP)
's
(S[dcl]\NP)/(S[adj]\NP)
there
S[adj]\NP
S[dcl]\NP
> 0
S[wq]
> 0
?
S[wq]\S[wq]
S[wq]
< 0
What
S[wq]/(S[dcl]\NP)
is
(S[dcl]\NP)/NP
a
NP/N
tank
N
NP
> 0
S[dcl]\NP
> 0
S[wq]
> 0
?
S[wq]\S[wq]
S[wq]
< 0

wh-phrases representing another extracted argument have category S[wq]/(S[q]/X) where X is the category of the extracted argument:

Who
S[wq]/(S[q]/NP)
did
(S[q]/(S[b]\NP))/NP
you
NP
S[q]/(S[b]\NP)
> 0
see
(S[b]\NP)/NP
S[q]/NP
> 1
S[wq]
> 0
?
S[wq]\S[wq]
S[wq]
< 0
Where
S[wq]/(S[q]/PP)
did
(S[q]/(S[b]\NP))/NP
you
NP
S[q]/(S[b]\NP)
> 0
go
(S[b]\NP)/PP
S[q]/PP
> 1
S[wq]
> 0
?
S[wq]\S[wq]
S[wq]
< 0

This includes sentences where the extracted phrase represents the non-dummy “subject” of an existential sentence:

How
((S[wq]/(S[q]/NP))/N)/(S[adj]\NP)
many
S[adj]\NP
(S[wq]/(S[q]/NP))/N
> 0
people
N
S[wq]/(S[q]/NP)
> 0
were
(S[q]/NP)/NP[thr]
there
NP[thr]
S[q]/NP
> 0
S[wq]
> 0
?
S[wq]\S[wq]
S[wq]
< 0

wh-phrases representing an extracted modifier have category S[wq]/S[q]:

How
S[wq]/S[q]
did
(S[q]/(S[b]\NP))/NP
you
NP
S[q]/(S[b]\NP)
> 0
do
(S[b]\NP)/NP
that
NP
S[b]\NP
> 0
S[q]
> 0
S[wq]
> 0
?
S[wq]\S[wq]
S[wq]
< 0