Question

Hello everyone!!

For these six sentences, I have to explain what determines whether the sentence is grammatical or not

1) Both the students were studying.

2) The students were both studying.

3) They were both studying.

4) *Both they were studying.

5) Both of you were studying.

6) *You were both of studying.

I know "both" is predeterminer when it comes before central determiner like sentence (1) and (5) but I have no idea about the rest of them....

Please help me....

Answer 1

The only incorrect ones, grammatically, is #4 because it has 2 subjects and #6.

#1 and #2 are clear but #3 and #5 do not specify that "students" were there.

Sra

Answer 2

What reasons can I provide to jusify if there are correct or wrong? Please help i am totally lost...

1) Both the students were studying.

--> ("Both" pre + "the"central )

2) The studnets were both studying.

--> ("The" central)......(for "both", is it post? )

3) They were both studying.

--> is this null DP ?,,, or "both" is still determiner ?

4) *Both they were studying.

--> Both is predeterminer but it is not grammatical..?

5) Both of you were studying.

--> (Both is pre... but i think "of" is not part of it ....

6) *You were both of studying.

--> have no idea...