Suggested answer for Exercise 8
Meaning 1:
One of the children’s books were on the desk.
Meaning 2:
One of the children’s books was on the desk.
In meaning 1, the string one of the children forms one node, which can be proved by substituting a DP for this string of words:
| (1) | a | [DP one of the children]’s books |
| b | [DP John]’s books |
In meaning 2, the string the children’s books forms one node, which can again be proved by substituting a DP for this string of words:
| (2) | a | one of [DP the children’s books] |
| b | one of [DP them] |
The tree structure of the DP with meaning 1 is that in (3a) and the structure of the DP with meaning four is under (3b).
| (3) | a | |
| b |