BARE PHRASE STRUCTURE NULL SUBJECTS NULL AUXILIARIES SEPT

BARE PHRASE STRUCTURE NULL SUBJECTS NULL AUXILIARIES SEPT. 17, 2010 D–AY 9 Introduction to Syntax ANTH 3590/7590 Harry Howard Tulane University

COURSE MANAGEMENT 9/17/10 http: //www. tulane. edu/~howard/ANTH 3590/ I changed the day numbering of the presentations and recordings to follow the syllabus. ANTH 3590/7590, Harry Howard, Tulane 2

9/17/10 3 ANTH 3590/7590, Harry Howard, Tulane § 2. 8 BARE PHRASE STRUCTURE

SKIP IT 9/17/10 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. ANTH 3590/7590, Harry Howard, Tulane 4

9/17/10 5 ANTH 3590/7590, Harry Howard, Tulane § 3. 2 NULL SUBJECTS

REVIEW We have already discussed null subjects: a. English has null subjects in some imperatives Don’t lose your nerve! And in some truncated clauses Hope [has called Mary] [yes, has called] ANTH 3590/7590, Harry Howard, Tulane b. ¿Ha llamado María? Sí, ha llamado. 9/17/10 you have a good time. And in some nonfinite clauses We would like to stay. 6

TWO KINDS OF NULL SUBJECTS pro for Spanish finite clauses pro [T’ ha [VP llamado]]] PRO for English non-finite clauses We ANTH 3590/7590, Harry Howard, Tulane [TP 9/17/10 would like [TP PRO [T’ to [VP stay]]] Some terminology for 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. 7

WHY POSIT PRO? 9/17/10 The verb in a control clause has an understood subject. Some control clauses have an alternate version with a full subject Mary promised [PRO to come to my party] Mary promised [she would come to my party] Reflexive pronouns need a local antecedent a. b. c. ANTH 3590/7590, Harry Howard, Tulane a. b. They want Mary to help herself. *They want Mary to help themselves. 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) 8

9/17/10 9 ANTH 3590/7590, Harry Howard, Tulane § 3. 3 NULL AUXILIARIES

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? British English difference He could have helped her, or she have helped him. 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] ANTH 3590/7590, Harry Howard, Tulane 9/17/10 Which gives example 18: *He could have helped her, or she’ve helped him. 10

CONCLUSION she [T’ could [VP have helped him]]] 9/17/10 [TP ANTH 3590/7590, Harry Howard, Tulane 11

9/17/10 3. 5 Null complementizers 12 ANTH 3590/7590, Harry Howard, Tulane NEXT TIME