| ROA: | 68 |
|---|---|
| Title: | Projection, Heads, and Optimality |
| Authors: | Jane Grimshaw |
| Comment: | 55 pages. Revised Version in LI 28.3, 373-422 |
| Length: | 55 |
| Abstract: | Projection, Heads, and Optimality Jane Grimshaw Rutgers University Inversion of the subject and auxiliary in English matrix questions and elsewhere is the effect of a violable optimality-theoretic constraint that requires head positions to be filled. When no other auxiliary is available, do-support occurs to satisfy this constraint, resulting in the presence of an expletive verb. When a higher-ranked constraint prohibits inversion, no inversion or do-support is found. The argument is then extended to cases where the complementizer "that" is obligatory, which are shown to offer best satisfaction of the proposed set of violable constraints. |
| Type: | Paper/tech report |
| Area/Keywords: | |
| Article: | Version 1 |