Chapter 6. Subject drop in how come questions in English
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Yoshio Endo
Abstract
In this paper, I will discuss a novel phenomenon which has not previously been discussed in the literature on how come questions – namely the fact that they can exhibit subject drop in diary-style English. I will first introduce Haegeman’s (1990) analysis of diary English with special attention to subject drop. I will next show some facts that how come questions can exhibit subject drop in diary-style English and suggest a mechanism responsible for subject drop in diary English. It will be shown that the same mechanism is used to license the null subject in Old English. I will further deal with a related but distinct question about the mechanism licensing an argumental element in the lower topic position in Old English, as opposed to Late Middle English. I will finally show that the same mechanism responsible for subject drop is used in licensing null Case in Japanese.
Abstract
In this paper, I will discuss a novel phenomenon which has not previously been discussed in the literature on how come questions – namely the fact that they can exhibit subject drop in diary-style English. I will first introduce Haegeman’s (1990) analysis of diary English with special attention to subject drop. I will next show some facts that how come questions can exhibit subject drop in diary-style English and suggest a mechanism responsible for subject drop in diary English. It will be shown that the same mechanism is used to license the null subject in Old English. I will further deal with a related but distinct question about the mechanism licensing an argumental element in the lower topic position in Old English, as opposed to Late Middle English. I will finally show that the same mechanism responsible for subject drop is used in licensing null Case in Japanese.
Chapters in this book
- Prelim pages i
- Table of contents v
- Chapter 1. Introduction 1
-
Section I. Theoretical and descriptive issues in syntactic cartography
- Chapter 2. Cartography and selection in subjunctives and interrogatives 15
- Chapter 3. The syntax and information-structural semantics of negative inversion in English and their implications for the theory of focus 27
- Chapter 4. Invariant die and adverbial resumption in the Ghent dialect 53
- Chapter 5. Uncovering the left periphery of Etruscan 111
- Chapter 6. Subject drop in how come questions in English 127
- Chapter 7. Causativity alternation in the lower field 139
- Chapter 8. Another argument for the differences among wa -marked phrases 161
-
Section II. Theoretical and descriptive issues in syntactic cartography
- Chapter 9. Quantifictional binding without surface c-command in Mandarin Chinese 183
- Chapter 10. Towards a cartography of light verbs 217
- Chapter 11. Attitudinal applicative in action 243
- Chapter 12. Multiple counterparts of Mandarin qu (go) in Teochew and their cartographic distributions 261
- Chapter 13. On the syntactic representation of Chinese you ( 有 ) in “ you + VP” construction 287
- Index 323
- List of contributors 328
Chapters in this book
- Prelim pages i
- Table of contents v
- Chapter 1. Introduction 1
-
Section I. Theoretical and descriptive issues in syntactic cartography
- Chapter 2. Cartography and selection in subjunctives and interrogatives 15
- Chapter 3. The syntax and information-structural semantics of negative inversion in English and their implications for the theory of focus 27
- Chapter 4. Invariant die and adverbial resumption in the Ghent dialect 53
- Chapter 5. Uncovering the left periphery of Etruscan 111
- Chapter 6. Subject drop in how come questions in English 127
- Chapter 7. Causativity alternation in the lower field 139
- Chapter 8. Another argument for the differences among wa -marked phrases 161
-
Section II. Theoretical and descriptive issues in syntactic cartography
- Chapter 9. Quantifictional binding without surface c-command in Mandarin Chinese 183
- Chapter 10. Towards a cartography of light verbs 217
- Chapter 11. Attitudinal applicative in action 243
- Chapter 12. Multiple counterparts of Mandarin qu (go) in Teochew and their cartographic distributions 261
- Chapter 13. On the syntactic representation of Chinese you ( 有 ) in “ you + VP” construction 287
- Index 323
- List of contributors 328
