Control into infinitival relatives
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Authors
Douglas, Jamie
Publication Date
2019-06Journal Title
English Language and Linguistics
ISSN
1360-6743
Publisher
Cambridge University Press (CUP)
Volume
23
Issue
2
Pages
469-494
Language
en
Type
Article
This Version
AM
Metadata
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Douglas, J. (2019). Control into infinitival relatives. English Language and Linguistics, 23 (2), 469-494. https://doi.org/10.1017/s1360674318000011
Abstract
<jats:p>This article focuses on a novel English construction involving control and infinitival relatives. Examples such as <jats:italic>this is John's book to read</jats:italic> have a head noun (<jats:italic>book</jats:italic>) modified by an infinitival relative clause (<jats:italic>to read</jats:italic>) and a prenominal possessor (<jats:italic>John's</jats:italic>). I argue that there is a control relation between the prenominal possessor and the PRO subject of the infinitival relative. I show that this control relation bears the structural hallmarks of obligatory control whilst at the same time permitting PRO to be interpreted as arbitrary. I discuss these empirical facts in the context of a syntactic, Agree-based theory of control.</jats:p>
Sponsorship
European Research Council (269752)
AHRC (1376885)
Identifiers
External DOI: https://doi.org/10.1017/s1360674318000011
This record's URL: https://www.repository.cam.ac.uk/handle/1810/277534
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