Bare phrase structureNull subjectsNull auxiliariesSept. 17, 2010 – Day 9Introduction to Syntax

ANTH 3590/7590

Harry Howard

Tulane University

Course management

http://www.tulane.edu/~howard/ANTH3590/ I changed the day numbering of the

presentations and recordings to follow the syllabus.

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§2.8 BARE PHRASE STRUCTURE

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SKIP IT

This section explores reasons for eliminating the labels on the nodes of a tree.

Read to get an idea for the kind of argumentation that Chomsky uses.

But the book does not pursue it, so we won’t, either.

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§3.2 NULL SUBJECTS

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Review

We have already discussed null subjects:a. ¿Ha llamado María? [has called Mary]b. Sí, ha llamado. [yes, has called]

English has null subjects in some imperatives Don’t lose your nerve!

And in some truncated clauses Hope you have a good time.

And in some nonfinite clauses We would like to stay.

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TWO KINDS OF NULL SUBJECTS

pro for Spanish finite clauses [TP pro [T ’ ha [VP llamado]]]

PRO for English non-finite clauses We would like [TP PRO [T ’ to [VP stay]]]

Some terminology for PRO PRO is controlled by the subject of the matrix

clause. The subject of the matrix clause is the

antecedent or controller of PRO. A verb that requires a nonfinite clause with PRO

is known as a control verb. The clause containing PRO is called a control

clause.

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WHY POSIT PRO?

The verb in a control clause has an understood subject.

Some control clauses have an alternate version with a full subjecta. Mary promised [PRO to come to my party]b. Mary promised [she would come to my party]

Reflexive pronouns need a local antecedenta. They want Mary to help herself. b. *They want Mary to help themselves.c. They want to help themselves.

… and sometimes the matrix doesn’t supply one It’s important to not take oneself too seriously. It’s important [PRO to not take oneself too

seriously] this is arbitrary reference (PRO arb)

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§3.3 NULL AUXILIARIES

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THE PROBLEM I have mentioned truncated clauses a few times.

Some of them are missing both a subject and an auxiliary verb: Having a good time?

Radford uses different data: ellipsis and gapping What do you make of example 15?

He could have helped her, or she have helped him. British English difference

May I have a look at your papers? You may (do). Contraction/cliticization ~ enclitics

How do you pronounce the contracted versions of … should have > [ʃʊ.dəv] you have > [juv]

Which gives example 18: *He could have helped her, or she’ve helped him.

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CONCLUSION

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NEXT TIME3.5 Null complementizers

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