Control into infinitival relatives

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>