PP Attachment Analysis

The question asks where the prepositional phrase (PP) 'with bullets' attaches in the sentence "The gunman sprayed the building with bullets". We need to determine which word or phrase the PP modifies.

• The PP 'with bullets' describes the manner or instrument of the action.
• Possible attachments are the verb 'sprayed', the object 'the building', or the subject 'the gunman'.

Determining Attachment Point

• Attachment to 'the gunman': This is incorrect. The phrase describes the action, not the subject performing it.
• Attachment to 'the building': This is incorrect. While 'the building' is syntactically closer, attachment is based on meaning and grammatical function. Attaching it here would imply the building was sprayed along with bullets, which is semantically illogical. Proximity is not the deciding factor.
• Attachment to 'sprayed': This is correct. The PP 'with bullets' directly modifies the verb 'sprayed', explaining how the spraying action was carried out.

Reasoning for Attachment

The PP 'with bullets' attaches to the verb 'sprayed' because it fulfills a semantic requirement of the verb. Verbs often have specific requirements, or selectional restrictions, regarding the types of complements or modifiers they can take. The verb 'sprayed' can be modified by phrases indicating the instrument or manner of spraying. 'With bullets' fits this role perfectly, specifying the instrument used for spraying.

While the phrase also acts as an adjunct (providing additional information about the verb), the primary reason for its valid attachment is that it meets the verb's specific grammatical and semantic needs (selectional restrictions).