Feature 17. VP-internal subject

found in question(s): 44a, 44b, 45a, 45b, 46a, 46b

Definition and illustration

It is generally assumed in generative syntax that subjects are generated within VP. In languages subject to the EPP-requirement, the subject has to vacate the VP and move to a designated subject position usually identified with Spec,TP (see also feature on the height of the subject). In languages without an EPP-requirement, on the other hand, the subject can remain inside the VP. This has been correlated with basic word order in that only VO-languages have been argued to be subject to the EPP. This makes predictions for VP-fronting: Concretely, in a language that has VP-fronting but no EPP, it should be possible for the fronted VP-constituent to contain the subject. The following example from German illustrates this possibility (see, e.g., Wurmbrand 2006, Haider 2010):

(1)

In a VO-language, which is subject to the EPP, this should not be possible, as shown by the following English example:

(2)

Questions 44-46 test different aspects of this prediction.

Correlations

Question 44 investigates whether the fronted VP can contain a passivized verb and its subject.

• Prediction 1: V-O → *[S+Vpass] fronting
• Prediction 2: O-V → [S+Vpass] fronting

Question 45 investigates whether the fronted VP can contain an unaccusative verb and its subject.

• Prediction 1: V-O → *[S+Vunacc] fronting
• Prediction 2: O-V → [S+Vunacc] fronting

Question 46 investigates whether the fronted VP can contain a transitive verb and its subject:

• Prediction 1: V-O → *[A+Vtrans] fronting
• Prediction 2: O-V → [A+Vtrans] fronting

In the approach by Fanselow (2020) that focuses solely on the EPP, the predictions are as follows for the questions above: Any language (whether OV or VO) subject to the EPP should disallow fronting of subject and verb:

• Prediction: EPP → *S+V fronting

See also

This feature is closely connected to several others that explore the consequences of the presence/absence of the EPP, i.e., 5, 7, 12, 13, 18.

References