1. :
2018

2. Syntax: A First Encounter
Marcel den Dikken
Department of English Linguistics
ELTE

3. Complementiser Phrases
SAFE 9
Complementiser Phrases
→ SAFEty First
• on top of the v–VP core of the structure of the clause,
syntax introduces a projection of the functional head I,
which is responsible for checking agreement with and
assigning nominative Case to the subject in SpecIP
• nominative Case is assigned by agreeing I under Spec-
Head agreement, while accusative Case is assigned by
the [–N] categories (incl. ‘little v’) under government
• in finite clauses, the agreeing subject in SpecIP always
receives nominative Case; in non-finite clauses, it is not
possible for the subject to show agreement with the verb
in English (unlike in Portuguese), so the subject of a non-
finite clause never receives nominative Case
• the subject of certain English non-finite clauses can,
however, surface with accusative Case – how?

4. Complementiser Phrases
SAFE 9
Complementiser Phrases
• English cannot produce Portuguese-like inflected
infinitives with a nominative subject of the infinitive
• but English can mimic them in a way, with the help
of the element for, which assigns the subject of the
infinitive accusative Case
será difícil [eles aprovarem a proposta]
it’ll be hard [for them to approve the proposal]
it’ll be hard [they to approve the proposal]
it’ll be hard [to approve the proposal] *
what is this for, and how does it assign accusative Case?

5. Complementiser Phrases
SAFE 9
Complementiser Phrases
for assigns accusative Case under government
• we see this Case-assigning for also under Vs like prefer
• for+him is not a constituent here
• the adjacency condition on accusative Case assignment
is in effect here
it’ll be hard [for them to approve the proposal
it’ll be hard [them to approve the proposal]
it’ll be hard [to approve the proposal] *
I prefer for him to tell me the truth *
for him, I prefer to tell me the truth
I prefer (sincerely) for (*sincerely) him to tell me the truth

6. Complementiser Phrases
SAFE 9
Complementiser Phrases
for assigns accusative Case under government V' CP V ??
a complementiser
prefer ?? IP
for
DPi I'
him I vP to
ti tell me the truth

7. Complementiser Phrases
SAFE 9
Complementiser Phrases
for is the English complementiser for infinitival clauses (with the infinitival marker to under I) V' V CP
prefer C IP
for
DPi I'
him I vP to
ti tell me the truth

8. Complementiser Phrases
SAFE 9
Complementiser Phrases
that is the English complementiser for finite clauses (with finite tense under I) V' V CP
think C IP
that
DPi I' he I vP
-ed
ti tell me the truth

9. Complementiser Phrases
SAFE 9
Complementiser Phrases
in both finite and infinitival clauses, the complementiser itself is usually just optionally present: C can be occupied by a silent morpheme V' V CP
think C IP
that
DPi I' he I vP
-ed
ti tell me the truth

10. Complementiser Phrases
SAFE 9
Complementiser Phrases
in both finite and infinitival clauses, the complementiser itself is usually just optionally present: C can be occupied by a silent morpheme V' V CP
think C IP Ø
DPi I' he I vP
-ed
ti tell me the truth

11. Complementiser Phrases
SAFE 9
Complementiser Phrases
in both finite and infinitival clauses, the complementiser itself is usually just optionally present: C can be occupied by a silent morpheme V' V CP
prefer C IP Ø
DPi I'
him I vP to
ti tell me the truth

12. regarding silent morphemes, recall the discussion of v
SAFE 9
‘Little v’
flashback
regarding silent morphemes, recall the discussion of v vP DP
they v′ v Ø VP V′ V
laugh
(PP)
at me

13. Complementiser Phrases
SAFE 9
Complementiser Phrases
back to CP and overt instances of the complementiser — what other examples can we think of? V' V CP
think C IP
that
DPi I' he I vP
-ed
ti tell me the truth

14. Complementiser Phrases
SAFE 9
Complementiser Phrases
back to CP and overt instances of the complementiser — what other examples can we think of? V' V CP
wonder ✓ C IP if
DPi I' he I vP
-ed
ti tell me the truth

15. Complementiser Phrases
SAFE 9
Complementiser Phrases
back to CP and overt instances of the complementiser — what other examples can we think of? V' V CP
wonder * C IP
whether
DPi I' he I vP
-ed
ti tell me the truth

16. Complementiser Phrases
SAFE 9
Complementiser Phrases
I wonder [whether or not] he told me the truth
I wonder [if or not] he told me the truth
I think [that or not] he told me the truth * * V'
whether is clearly phrasal in ways that that and if are not V CP
wonder * C IP
whether
DPi I' he I vP
-ed
ti tell me the truth

17. Complementiser Phrases
SAFE 9
Complementiser Phrases
I wonder [whether or not] he told me the truth
I wonder [if or not] he told me the truth
I think [that or not] he told me the truth * * V'
for true complementisers such as that and if, it makes sense that they cannot be coordinated with not, which itself projects a phrase (cf. certainly not) V CP
wonder * C IP
whether
DPi I' he
the Law of Coordination of Likes I vP
-ed
ti tell me the truth

18. Complementiser Phrases
SAFE 9
Complementiser Phrases
I wonder [whether or not] he told me the truth
I wonder [if or not] he told me the truth
I think [that or not] he told me the truth * * V'
now the fact that whether can be coordinated with not strongly suggests that whether is, like not, a phrase — if so, it cannot occupy the C-position V CP
wonder * C IP
whether
DPi I' he
the Law of Coordination of Likes I vP
-ed
ti tell me the truth

19. Complementiser Phrases
SAFE 9
Complementiser Phrases
I wonder [whether or not] he told me the truth
I wonder [if or not] he told me the truth
I think [that or not] he told me the truth * * V'
now the fact that whether can be coordinated with not strongly suggests that whether is, like not, a phrase — if so, it cannot occupy the C-position V CP
wonder * C IP
whether
DPi I' he
Q: where can we put whether, then? I vP
-ed
ti tell me the truth

20. Complementiser Phrases
SAFE 9
Complementiser Phrases
I wonder [whether or not] he told me the truth
I wonder [if or not] he told me the truth
I think [that or not] he told me the truth * * V'
note that we had left the C-projection rather incomplete up to this point: we projected C straight up to CP, for simplicity; but there is, of course, also a C′ V CP
wonder * C IP
whether
DPi I' he
Q: where can we put whether, then? I vP
-ed
ti tell me the truth

21. Complementiser Phrases
SAFE 9
Complementiser Phrases
I wonder [whether or not] he told me the truth
I wonder [if or not] he told me the truth
I think [that or not] he told me the truth * * CP
note that we had left the C-projection rather incomplete up to this point: we projected C straight up to CP, for simplicity; but there is, of course, also a C′
Spec C' * C IP
whether
DPi I' he
Q: where can we put whether, then? I vP
-ed
ti tell me the truth

22. Complementiser Phrases
SAFE 9
Complementiser Phrases
I wonder [whether or not] he told me the truth
I wonder [if or not] he told me the truth
I think [that or not] he told me the truth * * CP
SpecCP is the perfect place to put phrasal whether
Spec C' * C IP
whether
DPi I' he
Q: where can we put whether, then? I vP
-ed
ti tell me the truth

23. Complementiser Phrases
SAFE 9
Complementiser Phrases
I wonder [whether or not] he told me the truth
I wonder [if or not] he told me the truth
I think [that or not] he told me the truth * * CP
SpecCP is the perfect place to put phrasal whether ✓
whether C'
now the C-position remains empty again: a null morpheme is sitting in C C IP Ø
DPi I' he I vP
-ed
ti tell me the truth

24. SAFE Deposits → at this time, let us revisit our SAFE Deposit Box
• we had previously built the structure of the clause up to
the IP, projected by the functional head I (for ‘inflection’)
• for many clauses in English, projecting the structure up
to IP is sufficient
• but subordinate clauses in English are often introduced
by a functional element – a so-called complementiser
• English has an infinitival complementiser, for, as well as
two finite complementisers, that (for declarative clauses)
and if (for interrogative clauses)
• the complementiser for is able to assign accusative Case
to the subject of the clause in its complement
• the complementisers for and that have very little meaning
so they can often be omitted; CP then has a silent head
• the SpecCP position is useful for phrasal whether

25. Syntax: A First Encounter
Marcel den Dikken
Department of English Linguistics
ELTE

26. :
2018