The Explicit Syntax of Implicit Arguments

Idan Landau

Research output: Contribution to journalArticlepeer-review

97 Scopus citations

Abstract

Although they participate in control relations, implicit arguments are standardly viewed as unprojected θ-roles, absent from the syntax. I challenge this view and argue that implicit arguments are syntactically represented. The argument rests on the observation that implicit arguments can exercise partial control, and the claim that partial control must be encoded in the syntax (given plausible assumptions on the limits of lexical relations). I further argue that the syntactic constitution of implicit arguments is more impoverished than that of pro, explaining their differential visibility to various syntactic processes.

Original languageEnglish
Pages (from-to)357-388
Number of pages32
JournalLinguistic Inquiry
Volume41
Issue number3
DOIs
StatePublished - 4 Aug 2010

Keywords

  • Binding
  • Implicit arguments
  • Object pro
  • Partial control

ASJC Scopus subject areas

  • Language and Linguistics
  • Linguistics and Language

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