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Extraction from subjects: Differences in acceptability depend on the discourse function of the construction.
Anne Abeillé1, Barbara Hemforth1, Elodie Winckel2
1LLF, Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique (CNRS), Université de Paris, France.
Cognition
|July 31, 2020
Summary
Syntactic island constraints are not purely syntactic. Extraction acceptability depends on discourse factors, challenging universal grammar theories and highlighting construction-specific analysis for long-distance dependencies.
Area of Science:
- Linguistics
- Syntax
- Semantics
- Discourse Analysis
Background:
- Syntactic island constraints were proposed as universal, purely syntactic rules governing long-distance dependencies.
- These constraints predict uniform behavior across different constructions and languages.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the subject island constraint in English and French across different constructions.
- To compare extraction from nominal subjects versus nominal objects in relative clauses and wh-questions.
- To challenge purely syntactic accounts by considering discourse-related factors.
Main Methods:
- Comparative analysis of extraction from subjects and objects in English and French relative clauses and wh-questions.
- Utilizing parallel materials across constructions and languages.
- Developing a discourse-based theory to explain extraction patterns.
Main Results:
- Extraction from subjects is unacceptable in wh-questions (both languages) and with preposition stranding (English).
- Extraction of whole prepositional phrases from subjects in relative clauses is acceptable in both languages, similar to extraction from objects.
- Extraction acceptability is influenced by the discourse status of the extracted element (focus vs. non-focus).
Conclusions:
- Subject island effects are not solely determined by syntactic constraints.
- The discourse status of the extracted element (focus in wh-questions, non-focus in relative clauses) interacts with the subject's discourse status.
- Extraction patterns are construction-specific, necessitating analysis that incorporates discourse functions rather than relying on universal syntactic rules alone.
Keywords:
Cross-linguisticExperimental syntaxInformation structureRelative clausesSyntactic islandsWh-questionsMore Related Videos
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