Agreement 2 Nov 9, 2012 – Day 30 Introduction to Syntax ANTH 3590/7590 Harry Howard Tulane University

C OURSE MANAGEMENT We need to spend our $150 from the Provost’s Undergraduate Activities Fund. 11/09/12 2 ANTH3590/7590, Harry Howard, Tulane

REVIEW Radford § /09/12 ANTH3590/7590, Harry Howard, Tulane 3

R ECALL THE SHAPE OF THE GRAMMAR 11/09/12 4 ANTH3590/7590, Harry Howard, Tulane Syntax Phonetic form/interpretation: syntactic structure is spelled out; unvalued features cause the derivation to crash. Semantic representation: syntactic structure is converted to a meaning; uninterpretable features cause the derivation to crash.

U NINTERPRETABLE FEATURES Constituent interpretable features uninterpretable features T tense aspect mood person number (redundant with subject?) Nominal person number gender case (redundant with context) 11/09/12 5 ANTH3590/7590, Harry Howard, Tulane Features are interpreted in the semantics, or not. (13)

PRN they [3-Pers] [Pl-Num] [ -Case] P ASSIVE (16, 17) 11/09/12 6 ANTH3590/7590, Harry Howard, Tulane CP TPCøCø T’T’ VPT BE [Past-Tns] [ -Pers] [ -Num] [EPP] V arrested V assigns THEME to its complement Probe finds a goal in its c-command domain. PRN they [3-Pers] [Pl-Num] [Nom-Case] Pl Goal supplies phi features to probe. Nom

PRN it [3-Pers] [Sg-Num] PRN it [3-Pers] [Sg-Num] E XPLETIVE IT (26-27) 11/09/12 7 ANTH3590/7590, Harry Howard, Tulane CP TP CøCø T’T’ VPT BE [Pres-Tns] [ -Pers] [ -Num] [EPP] V said Probe finds a goal in its c-command domain. 3 Pl Goal supplies phi features to probe. V' CP that he has taken bribes

AGREEMENT, CASE & A- MVT Radford § /09/12 ANTH3590/7590, Harry Howard, Tulane 8

E XPLETIVE THERE SUBJECTS §7.6 11/09/12 ANTH3590/7590, Harry Howard, Tulane 9

I NTRODUCTION Our initial example There were awarded several prizes. So what features does expletive there have? Person (it only occurs with 3 rd person nouns), but it is uninterpretable. No case (it has no genitive), or anything else. So what does it agree with? With the semantic subject several prizes ? No, because the probe-goal relation is head to phrase, not phrase to phrase. Agreement takes place between a valued and an unvalued feature, not two valued features. 11/09/12 10 ANTH3590/7590, Harry Howard, Tulane

PRN there [3-Pers] PRN there [3-Pers] QP several prizes [3-Pers] [Pl-Num] [ -Case] E XPLETIVE THERE PASSIVE AGAIN (29, 30) 11/09/12 11 ANTH3590/7590, Harry Howard, Tulane CP TP CøCø T’T’ VPT BE [Past-Tns] [ -Pers] [ -Num] [EPP] V awarded V assigns THEME to its complement V' 3 Pl Goals supply phi features to probe. Nom Probe finds TWO goals in its c- command domain

E XPLETIVE CONDITIONS (32) i. External argument condition An expletive can only be merged with the highest argument of a verb with no external argument: *{There/It} was impeached the president. (35) ii. Indefiniteness condition Expletive there can only be merged with a verb which has an indefinite nominal or pronominal internal argument: {There/*it} was rewarded only one prize. (33) iii. Inactivity condition Expletive it can only be merged with a constituent which does not contain a nominal or pronominal with active case or phi features: {*There/It} is said that he has taken bribes. (34) It is raining. 11/09/12 12 ANTH3590/7590, Harry Howard, Tulane

W HY ? External argument condition (An expletive can only be merged with the highest argument of a verb with no external argument.) The expletive would compete for spec-V with a real external argument, or the expletive is quasi-thematic, in that it acts like a location, so it would compete for theta role assignment with a real external argument. Inactivity condition (Expletive it can only be merged with a constituent which does not contain a nominal or pronominal with active case or phi features.) Since it supplies those features. 11/09/12 13 ANTH3590/7590, Harry Howard, Tulane

W HY THE INDEFINITENESS CONDITION ? (Expletive there can only be merged with a verb which has an indefinite nominal or pronominal internal argument.) Why use an expletive at all? Difference in specificity (?) I am looking for a secretary who speaks three languages. A secretary who speaks three languages is in the room. (~37a) There is a secretary who speaks three languages in the room. (~37b) Conclusion: the expletive ensures a non-specific reading. Why use there ? It has one less feature than it and so is more economical. So it cannot be used for there in indefinite clauses. And there cannot be used for it with clausal arguments because of the lack of a feature, see next slide. 11/09/12 14 ANTH3590/7590, Harry Howard, Tulane

PRN there [3-Pers] PRN there [3-Pers] N O THERE FOR IT (41) 11/09/12 15 ANTH3590/7590, Harry Howard, Tulane CP TP CøCø T’T’ VPT BE [Pres-Tns] [ -Pers] [ -Num] [EPP] V said Probe finds a goal in its c-command domain. V' CP that he has taken bribes Goal supplies phi features to probe.

NEXT TIME P9, Continue §7 11/09/12 ANTH3590/7590, Harry Howard, Tulane 16