The Subject-in-Situ Generalization and the Role of Case in Driving Computations

Abstract

The article establishes a novel generalization concerning the placement of arguments by Spell-Out. It centers on the principles that force arguments to leave the VP across languages. The empirical domain consists of constructions where subject movement is not required for reasons that have to do with the Extended Projection Principle. In these environments and whenever a sentence contains both a subject and a direct object, one of the arguments must vacate the VP. We argue that argument externalization is related to Case. It is forced because movement of both arguments to a single head T0 that contains two active Case features in the covert component is banned.

Negative concord and nominal licensing in Xhosa and Zulu

“…C&M discuss a number of potential motivations for this forced raising in Xhosa including linearization issues (Richards 2010), labeling (Chomsky 2013), and Casetheoretic problems (Alexiadou and Anagnostopoulou 2001 i-zi-ngane 10-10-child lu-tho! 11-thing 'MOTHER didn't send the children anything!'…”

A note on labeling, Berber states and VSO order

“…iv Some tweaking is needed to derive this, a matter for future research. v Chomsky (2013) discusses Alexiadou and Anagnostopoulou's (2001) generalization to the effect that either the subject or the object must move out of vP. This generalization is too weak to explain the fact that in Berber, subjects must occur above adverbs even when a direct object is moved out of VP, by cliticization, for example.…”

7. Icelandic non-nominative subjects

“…2000, Alexiadou and Anagnostopoulou 2001. In fact, this is true of all languages I know of, even English to an extent.…”