The Movement Derivation of Conditional Clauses

2010 ◽  
Vol 41 (4) ◽  
pp. 595-621 ◽  
Author(s):  
Liliane Haegeman
Keyword(s):  
Movement Analysis ◽  
Main Clause ◽  
Intervention Effects ◽  
Temporal Clauses ◽  
Operator Movement

By analogy with the movement analysis of temporal clauses, some authors have proposed that conditional clauses be derived by leftward operator movement (Bhatt and Pancheva 2002, 2006, Arsenijević 2009, Tomaszewicz 2009). This movement analysis of conditional clauses is shown to account for the incompatibility of main clause phenomena and conditional clauses in terms of intervention effects. The cartographic implementation of this analysis predicts that conditional clauses will be incompatible with speaker-oriented modal expressions and that conditional clauses will lack the low-construal reading found in temporal clauses (Bhatt and Pancheva 2002, 2006). Thus, the absence of low construal in conditional clauses, which was initially taken to be an obstacle for the movement account of conditional clauses (see Citko 2000), becomes an argument in its favor.

Taking time with the tough-construction

2021 ◽  
pp. 1-36
Author(s):  
JOHN GLUCKMAN
Keyword(s):  
Movement Analysis ◽  
Main Clause ◽  
Syntactic Analysis ◽  
English Syntax ◽  
Insight Into ◽  
The Way

I provide a syntactic analysis of the take-time construction (It took an hour to complete the test). The investigation provides insight into well-known issues concerning the related tough-construction. Using a battery of standard syntactic diagnostics, I conclude that the take-time construction and the tough-construction require a predication analysis of the antecedent-gap chain, not a movement analysis. I also conclude that the nonfinite clause is in a modificational relationship with the main clause predicate, not a selectional relationship. Broadly, this study expands the class of tough-constructions, illustrating crucial variation among predicates, and pointing the way to a unified analysis. The investigation also reveals undiscussed aspects of English syntax, including the fact that English has a high applicative position.

scholarly journals La posición de las cláusulas temporales con cuando

2021 ◽  
Vol 9 (1) ◽  
pp. 7-41 ◽  
Author(s):  
Lilián Guerrero ◽  
◽  
Rebeca Gerardo-Tavira ◽  
Keyword(s):  
Initial Position ◽  
Main Clause ◽  
Syntactic Complexity ◽  
Order Variation ◽  
Temporal Clauses ◽  
Adverbial Clauses

Previous typological studies have shown that temporal clauses, unlike other adverbial clauses, can occur before or after the main clause, and this order variation has been observed across languages and within the same language. In the case of Spanish, some studies have found that temporal clauses tend to occur at the beginning of the clause. In this paper, we extend the assumptions of typological studies into the analysis of temporal clauses introduced by cuando ‘when’. Based in used data, we found that the initial position is preferred in oral data, while both positions are equally common in writing data. We examine some semantic, syntactic, and pragmatic motivations that, together, may explain this order variation: the semantic nature of cuando, sequential iconicity, length, and syntactic complexity, as well as pragmatic order.

scholarly journals Against 'Long' Movement of the Superlative Operator

2000 ◽  
Vol 10 ◽  
pp. 185 ◽  
Author(s):  
Yael Sharvit ◽  
Penka Stateva
Keyword(s):  
Propositional Attitude ◽  
Movement Analysis ◽  
The Other ◽  
Strict Sense ◽  
High Grade ◽  
De Re ◽  
Base Position ◽  
Considerable Debate ◽  
Operator Movement

It is a matter of considerable debate whether degree operators are interpreted in their base position or in some higher position. Kennedy ( 1 997) has shown that degree operators (e.g., the comparative operator) do not interact scopally with quantified expressions. On the other hand, Heim ( 1 999) and Stateva (to appear) have presented evidence that the superlative operator (as in the highest grade) interacts scopally with intensional predicates. This paper argues that despite the fact that the superlative operator seems to interact scopally with intensional predicates, the facts receive a better account under an in situ analysis, rather than a movement analysis, of the operator. This point will be made by (a) looking at examples where a superlative expression is embedded under a propositional attitude verb, and focussing on readings which are neither de re (in the strict sense) nor de dicto (in the strict sense); and (b) examining negative superlatives (e.g., the least high grade) in extensional contexts. Our conclusion will be that Kennedy' s claim that degree operator movement is highly restricted is correct.

Against 'Long' Movement of the Superlative Operator

2015 ◽  
Vol 10 ◽  
pp. 185
Author(s):  
Yael Sharvit ◽  
Penka Stateva
Keyword(s):  
Propositional Attitude ◽  
Movement Analysis ◽  
The Other ◽  
Strict Sense ◽  
High Grade ◽  
De Re ◽  
Base Position ◽  
Considerable Debate ◽  
Operator Movement

It is a matter of considerable debate whether degree operators are interpreted in their base position or in some higher position. Kennedy (1997) has shown that degree operators (e.g., the comparative operator) do not interact scopally with quantified expressions. On the other hand, Heim (1999) and Stateva (to appear) have presented evidence that the superlative operator (as in <it>the highest grade</it>) interacts scopally with intensional predicates. This paper argues that despite the fact that the superlative operator seems to interact scopally with intensional predicates, the facts receive a better account under an <it>in situ</it> analysis, rather than a movement analysis, of the operator. This point will be made by (a) looking at examples where a superlative expression is embedded under a propositional attitude verb, and focussing on readings which are neither <it>de re</it> (in the strict sense) nor <it>de dicto</it> (in the strict sense); and (b) examining negative superlatives (e.g., <it>the least high grade</it>) in extensional contexts. Our conclusion will be that Kennedy's claim that degree operator movement is highly restricted is correct.

La Localisation Temporelle

1988 ◽  
Vol 12 (2) ◽  
pp. 337-361
Author(s):  
Carl Vetters
Keyword(s):  
Recent Work ◽  
Main Clause ◽  
Time Interval ◽  
New Approach ◽  
Main Verb ◽  
Temporal Clauses ◽  
Temporal Localization ◽  
Temporal Adverbs

The paper proposes a new approach to temporal clauses and temporal adverbs, which are mostly said to "localize" the main verb. In recent work of Vicenzo Lo Cascio and others, temporal clauses and adverbs are treated completely differently and independently. We want to show that they should be handled together. Therefore, we start from a different conception of temporal localization, based on non-linguistic localization, as used in f.e. geography. So, we are able to show similarities between temporal clauses and adverbs. Our conclusion is that the localizer is always the time interval which is situated at the background, although it is not necessarily expressed by the temporal clause or adverb. On the contrary, a temporal clause or adverb can also be localized by the verb of the main clause.

Deriving Chinese alternative questions

2020 ◽  
Vol 46 (2) ◽  
pp. 206-239
Author(s):  
Rui-heng Ray Huang
Keyword(s):  
Empirical Support ◽  
Movement Analysis ◽  
Intervention Effects ◽  
Focus Intervention ◽  
Island Constraints ◽  
Alternative Questions ◽  
Better Than ◽  
Feature Percolation

Abstract This study proposes an approach which derives Chinese alternative questions by means of feature percolation and LF movement. This approach is argued to fare better than a movement approach as proposed by C.-T. Huang (1998) and a non-movement binding approach as proposed by R.-H. Huang (2010) in that it may successfully explain why Chinese alternative questions are only sensitive to the wh-island constraint, but not to other types of island constraints. The LF movement analysis may receive empirical support from the observed fact that Chinese alternative questions exhibit focus-intervention effects, generally assumed to be induced by LF movement.

When-clauses and temporal meanings across languages

2021 ◽  
Vol 0 (0) ◽  
Author(s):  
Lilián Guerrero
Keyword(s):  
Comparative Studies ◽  
Main Clause ◽  
Temporal Relations ◽  
Convenience Sample ◽  
Systematic Comparison ◽  
Basic Meaning ◽  
Temporal Clauses ◽  
Adverbial Clause

AbstractTypological studies have tended to take for granted the default interpretation for English and imposed ‘simultaneity’ as the basic meaning ofwhen-clauses for all languages. This in opposition to the approach taken in reference grammars, which generally report temporal linkage markers likewhenas encoding one or several meanings. Data from languages other than English show that comparative studies should also be open to the possibility thatwhen-clauses do not always, or only, denote simultaneity. To support this claim and argue against the default interpretation of simultaneity, in this study I explore the range of temporal meanings ofwhen-clauses across languages and provide evidence from Spanish and Yaqui corpora. Unlike English, corpus-based studies show that Spanish equivalentcuando-clauses equally introduce simultaneous and sequential readings, while Yaquio-/kai-clauses predominantly express sequential meanings. Furthermore, a convenience sample of 28 unrelated languages reveals that, if there is awhen-clause in a language, it can locate the event of the adverbial clause earlier, later, or around the same time as the main clause. The analysis of the semantic side ofwhen-clauses demonstrates that there are language-specific tendencies regarding their temporal meanings. On these grounds, I propose that a better understanding ofwhen-clauses can be arrived at by classifying them as ‘unspecific’ temporal clauses. This categorization would motivate a richer analysis of new data and a systematic comparison between unspecific, simultaneous and sequential clauses. Finally, I advance a four-way classification regarding general versus specific markers, and the temporal relations they encode, two of which account for most languages analyzed.

scholarly journals On the syntax of relative clauses in Korean

2013 ◽  
Vol 58 (2) ◽  
pp. 319-347 ◽  
Author(s):  
Chung-Hye Han
Keyword(s):  
Magnitude Estimation ◽  
Relative Clauses ◽  
Movement Analysis ◽  
Experimental Methodology ◽  
Estimation Task ◽  
Binding Analysis ◽  
Analysis Experiment ◽  
Overt Pronoun ◽  
Operator Binding ◽  
Operator Movement

AbstractThere are two main approaches to the syntax of Korean relative clauses: the operator-movement analysis and the operator-binding analysis. Although the predictions made by the two analyses are clear, no consensus is found in the literature regarding the two approaches, as there is disagreement on what the facts are. This situation thus calls for adopting a controlled experimental methodology to obtain the relevant data. In this article, I present findings from two magnitude estimation task experiments that support the operator-movement analysis. Experiment 1 tested whether a subject gap can occur in islands in relative clauses and whether it can be replaced with an overt pronoun, and Experiment 2 tested whether an object gap can occur in islands in relative clauses and whether it can be replaced with an overt pronoun. In both experiments, a gap could not occur in an island and could not be replaced with an overt pronoun. According to these findings, relativization into islands is ruled out in Korean, and thus the operator-movement analysis is supported.

scholarly journals Applying licenser rules to a grammar with continuous constituents

2007 ◽  
Author(s):  
Tobias Kaufmann ◽  
Beat Pfister
Keyword(s):  
Movement Analysis ◽  
Main Clause ◽  
Verb Movement ◽  
Rule Approach

Licenser rules have originally been introduced in Müller (1999) as a part of a grammar based on discontinuous constituents. We propose licenser rules as a means to avoid underspecified empty elements in grammars with continuous constituents. We applied them to a verb movement analysis of the German main clause with right sentence bracket and to complement extraposition. To reduce the number of unnecessary hypotheses, we extended the licenser rule concept with a licenser binding technique. We compared the licenser rule approach to an approach based on underspecified traces with respect to processing performance. In our experiment, the use of licenser rules reduced the parse time by a factor of 13.5.

Turkish ATB Relativization: Implications on Relative Clause Formation

2016 ◽  
Vol 52 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Semra Baturay Meral ◽  
Hasan Mesut Meral
Keyword(s):  
Relative Clause ◽  
Movement Analysis ◽  
Operator Movement

AbstractThis paper discusses Turkish across-the-board relativization in relation to the two relative clause formation strategies: (i) the empty operator movement analysis of

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