On Matrix Clause Intervention in AcI Constructions
Ad Neeleman, Amanda Payne
February 2018 

One of the strongest arguments for a raising-to-object analysis of English AcI constructions comes from the fact that adverbials and particles belonging to the matrix clause can intervene between the embedded subject and the embedded predicate. We re-evaluate this argument in the light of an overlooked alternative analysis, namely that matrix clause intervention is the result of extraposition of the embedded predicate. We show that this analysis gives a better account of matrix clause intervention than raising to object. The arguments we give are based on the scopal properties of the embedded subject, and on the order among multiple intervening elements. We also consider various mixed analyses that feature both raising to object and extraposition. These turn out to be conceptually awkward and empirically flawed.

Format:	[ pdf ]
Reference:	lingbuzz/003851 (please use that when you cite this article)
Published in:	UCL/University of Delaware
keywords:	aci constructions, raising to object, exceptional case marking, reconstruction, barss's generalization, adverbial hierarchy, amazon mechanical turk, syntax
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