Control into infinitival relatives
Accepted version
Peer-reviewed
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Repository DOI
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Authors
DOUGLAS, JAMIE
Abstract
jats:pThis article focuses on a novel English construction involving control and infinitival relatives. Examples such as jats:italicthis is John's book to read</jats:italic> have a head noun (jats:italicbook</jats:italic>) modified by an infinitival relative clause (jats:italicto read</jats:italic>) and a prenominal possessor (jats:italicJohn'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>
Description
Keywords
47 Language, Communication and Culture, 4704 Linguistics
Journal Title
English Language and Linguistics
Conference Name
Journal ISSN
1360-6743
1469-4379
1469-4379
Volume Title
23
Publisher
Cambridge University Press (CUP)
Publisher DOI
Sponsorship
European Research Council (269752)
AHRC (1376885)
AHRC (1376885)