Linguist Forum

Specializations => Morphosyntax => Topic started by: Morphosyntax on January 09, 2018, 02:07:37 PM

Title: Prepositional Complementisers and ACC
Post by: Morphosyntax on January 09, 2018, 02:07:37 PM

Prepositions are ACC case assigners. The subject of a non-finite clause with prepositional complementiser for gets ACC case from the preposition:

"I would like for [_TP him to join me]"

Why does the PRO subject of a gerund not receive ACC case when the non-finite clause is introduced by a preposition?

"Thank you_i for [_TP PRO_i joining me]"

Title: Re: Prepositional Complementisers and ACC
Post by: Daniel on January 09, 2018, 07:47:32 PM

Good question. I suppose someone maintaining that analysis would imagine some additional distinct structure in those two complement types.

Personally at least for English I like thinking of accusative as default ("elsewhere") and nominative as assigned in specific circumstances. But that's not the standard generative analysis.

Title: Re: Prepositional Complementisers and ACC
Post by: binumal on January 11, 2018, 07:59:47 AM

Quote from: Morphosyntax on January 09, 2018, 02:07:37 PM

Prepositions are ACC case assigners. The subject of a non-finite clause with prepositional complementiser for gets ACC case from the preposition:

"I would like for [_TP him to join me]"-

Why does the PRO subject of a gerund not receive ACC case when the non-finite clause is introduced by a preposition?

"Thank you_i for [_TP PRO_i joining me]"

The PRO clause is not a TP,Its a CP- the preposition for cannot case mark the PRO across a CP. Hence PRO cannot be case marked by for here.And note that for in the second sentence is not a prepositional complementizer(as far as I know) ,Its a head of the PP that is adjuncted to the VP 'thank you"