Variation Flashcards
T-to-C Movement
take the element in T and move it to the front of the sentence. (forms yes/no questions)
yes/no questions
the answer is yes or no. formed by t-to-c movement
what does cp tell us
whether a sentence is declarative or interrogative
t or f: all clauses have a cp layer above the tp
true
[+Q] vs. [-Q]
[+Q] interrogative
[-Q] declarative
do-insertion
- insert interrogative do into an empty T position
2. move t to c
wh-movement
- move t to c
2. move question word to the specifier of CP
trace
an empty category that occupies a position in the syntactic structure
that-trace effect
the complementizer that cannot be followed by a trace
t or f the moved element in wh-movement is just the wh-word
false
when can’t contractions occur
when the words aren’t adjacent
Why does movement occur?
T to C and wh-movement are driven by features on C.
T or F: The basic X-bar architecture is part of Universal Grammar
true
Head-initial
heads before complements (on the right)
Head-final
heads after complements (on the left)
linearization
we find variation in how sentences are linearized
implications of linearization for UG
helps children learn languages: a single parameter setting controls all features
Similarities b/n all languages
- Sentences are constructed from a basic template: CP≫TP≫ VP
- Thematic roles (AGENT, THEME, etc.) are assigned in the same relative structural configuration
- Verbs and prepositions select NP complements Nouns and adjectives select PP-complements CP is involved in question-formation
- Sentences are formed from phrases following a universal X-bar template
Differences b/n languages
Some languages move wh-phrases to the specifier of CP, while others leave them in their base positions
Head-initial vs. head-final
Height of Verbs in English vs. French vs. German
English: Verbs stay in V; subjects in Specifier of TP
French: Verbs raise to T; subjects in Specifier of TP
German: Verbs raise to C; “subjects” in Specifier of CP
English T and V
Some auxiliaries show inflection for tense, lending support to the idea that they are in T
If there are multiple auxiliaries, only the highest one inflects for tense
V2 Languages
The inflected verb or auxiliary is in the second position of the clause
*Second constituent, not the second word
Evidence that the verb is in C
When C is filled, the verb can’t move into it
If a wh-word moves to the specifier of CP, another NP can’t also move there
In order to capture variation, we can look at __
consistent patterns
