How can I provide evidence supporting the hypothesis, that is, prove by means of constituency tests that my hypothesis is correct?
The sentences: (1) Jeff lost the watch with the big numbers (2) Jeff left the watch with the old lady (3) N V D N P D A N
The hypothesis: 1) both VPs have different constituent structure, that is, in (1) the VP is formed by the V plus a single constituent (NP), whereas in (2) the VP is formed by the V plus two constituents
2) both VPs have a different structure because whereas [the watch with the big numbers] is a constituent, the sequence [the watch with the old lady] is not
And the rest of the task:
Try to use as many constituency tests as you can. Please note that your answer should include contrasting grammatical and ungrammatical examples which reveal the syntactic differences or similarities (depending on your hypothesis) between (1) and (2). Also, explain how the constituency tests you have used work and what is shown by each grammatical or ungrammatical example you have used as part of your evidence.
I would appreciate if you could explain that. Thank you in advance