‘Inverted’ imperatives
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Laura Rupp
Abstract
Imperatives in English occur with Subject do(n’t) order as well as with the reverse order do(n’t) Subject . Well-established assumptions about inverted order in interrogatives have led previous studies to assume that in apparently inverted imperative constructions, do(n’t) has similarly been placed in C above the subject in SpecIP. I argue that the (non-)inverted orders rather occur because there is variation in the position of subjects in imperatives. This analysis is shown to account for a cluster of other properties that characterise the imperative. The syntax of imperatives is relevant to a number of current issues in syntactic theory, such as the status of the EPP, the motivation for Move and the apparent problem of optional displacement.
Abstract
Imperatives in English occur with Subject do(n’t) order as well as with the reverse order do(n’t) Subject . Well-established assumptions about inverted order in interrogatives have led previous studies to assume that in apparently inverted imperative constructions, do(n’t) has similarly been placed in C above the subject in SpecIP. I argue that the (non-)inverted orders rather occur because there is variation in the position of subjects in imperatives. This analysis is shown to account for a cluster of other properties that characterise the imperative. The syntax of imperatives is relevant to a number of current issues in syntactic theory, such as the status of the EPP, the motivation for Move and the apparent problem of optional displacement.
Kapitel in diesem Buch
- Prelim pages i
- Table of contents v
- List of contributors vii
- Imperative clauses in generative grammar 1
- On the periphery of imperative and declarative clauses in Dutch and German 95
- Featuring the subject in Dutch imperatives 113
- Clitic climbing in Spanish imperatives 135
- Topics in imperatives 153
- Embedded imperatives 181
- How to say no and don’t 205
- Analysing word order in the English imperative 251
- On participial imperatives 273
- ‘Inverted’ imperatives 297
- Pronominal clitics and imperatives in South Slavic 323
- Index of languages 341
- Index of names 343
- Index of subjects 347
Kapitel in diesem Buch
- Prelim pages i
- Table of contents v
- List of contributors vii
- Imperative clauses in generative grammar 1
- On the periphery of imperative and declarative clauses in Dutch and German 95
- Featuring the subject in Dutch imperatives 113
- Clitic climbing in Spanish imperatives 135
- Topics in imperatives 153
- Embedded imperatives 181
- How to say no and don’t 205
- Analysing word order in the English imperative 251
- On participial imperatives 273
- ‘Inverted’ imperatives 297
- Pronominal clitics and imperatives in South Slavic 323
- Index of languages 341
- Index of names 343
- Index of subjects 347
