A movement 4Nov 5, 2012 – Day 28Introduction to Syntax

ANTH 3590/7590

Harry Howard

Tulane University

Course management

http://www.tulane.edu/~howard/ANTH3590/ We need to spend our $150 from the

Provost’s Undergraduate Activities Fund.

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A-MOVEMENT

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Review of raising

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Control vs. raising predicatesNote that control is ‘normal’

Don’t these two sentences look similar?72b) He does want to scare them. 72a) He does seem to scare them.

Four ways in which they are different.1.Expletive there subjects:

84b) *There wanted to remain several unsolved mysteries. 84b) There seem to remain several unsolved mysteries. cf other examples (54-7) p. 223

2.Subject idioms:85a) ??Whenever they meet, all hell wants to break loose. 85a) Whenever they meet, all hell seems to break loose.

3.Synonymy under long-distance passivization:87b) Mary wants to be helped by John.87a) ≉ John wants to help Mary.86b) Mary seems to have been helped by John.86a) ≈ John seems to have helped Mary.

4.Restrictions on subject:88) My {cat/!gesture} wants to be appreciated. 89) My {cat/gesture} seems to be appreciated.

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Summary of the differencesNote that control is ‘normal’

Control (want, be keen)

Raising (seem, be likely)

Expletive there subject

* ok

Subject idiom * ok

Synonymy under long-distance passivization

* ok

Restrictions on subject

yes no

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EXPLANATION

A control predicate like want assigns EXPERIENCER to its specifier/external argument and THEME to its complement/internal argument. If clausal, the complement is CP.

A raising predicate like seem assigns no theta role to its specifier/external argument and takes a TP complement/internal argument.

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TP

T’

V'

Tto

Control verb want (78)

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Vscare

PRNthem

V assigns THEME to its complement

PRNhe

-----

CP

TPCø

T’

V'

Tdoes

Vwant

PRNPRO

-----

VP

PRNPRO

V assigns AGENT to its specifier

CP

Cø

V assigns THEME to its CP complement

VP

V assigns EXPERIENCER to its specifier

PRNhe

PRNhe

TP

T’

V'

Tto

Raising verb seem (73)

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Vscare

PRNthem

V assigns THEME to its complement

PRNhe

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CP

TPCø

T’

VPTdoes

Vseem

PRNhe

-----

VPV assigns AGENT to its

specifier

V assigns THEME to its TP complement?

Examples

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EX. 6.1: RAISING VS. CONTROL VERBS

1. tend to2. decide to3. come to4. have to5. fail to6. try to7. refuse to8. begin to9. attempt to10. happen to

1. raising2. control3. raising4. raising5. raising6. control7. control8. raising9. control10. raising

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EX. 6.1: RAISING VS. CONTROL VERBS

11. going to12. bound to13. looks to14. needs to15. manage to16. intend to17. threaten to18. hope to19. choose to20. plan to

11. raising12. raising13. raising?14. control, raising?15. control, raising?16. control17. control, raising?18. control19. control20. control

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EX 6.2 DERIVATIONS

On chalkboard.

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NEXT TIME§7

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