Resumptive pronouns as a last resort when movement is impaired
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Naama Friedmann
Abstract
This study tested 14 school-age orally-trained children with hearing impairment who have a deficit in A-bar movement, manifested in an impaired comprehension of object relatives and topicalization structures. When they produce a grammatical object relative clause, they typically produce it with a resumptive pronoun, unlike their age-matched controls, who tend to produce object relatives with a gap. They also produce resumptive pronouns where only a gap is licit, in the highest embedded subject position in subject relatives. We interpret these results as supporting the claim that resumptive pronouns are a last resort when movement is blocked, not only because of islands in intact syntax, but also due to impairment. The participants also doubled the relative head in both subject- and object-relatives, producing ungrammatical sentences. The bearing of these errors on the copy theory of movement is discussed.
Abstract
This study tested 14 school-age orally-trained children with hearing impairment who have a deficit in A-bar movement, manifested in an impaired comprehension of object relatives and topicalization structures. When they produce a grammatical object relative clause, they typically produce it with a resumptive pronoun, unlike their age-matched controls, who tend to produce object relatives with a gap. They also produce resumptive pronouns where only a gap is licit, in the highest embedded subject position in subject relatives. We interpret these results as supporting the claim that resumptive pronouns are a last resort when movement is blocked, not only because of islands in intact syntax, but also due to impairment. The participants also doubled the relative head in both subject- and object-relatives, producing ungrammatical sentences. The bearing of these errors on the copy theory of movement is discussed.
Chapters in this book
- Prelim pages i
- Table of contents v
- Acknowledgement vii
- Current issues in generative Hebrew linguistics 1
-
Part I. The structure of the lexicon
- Morphologically conditioned V-Ø alternation in Hebrew 27
- The special status of nif'al in Hebrew 61
- Object gap constructions 77
- Active lexicon 105
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Part II. Grammatical features and inflectional morphology
- Definiteness agreement with PP modifiers 137
- Predication and equation in Hebrew (nonpseudocleft) copular sentences 161
- Morphological knowledge without morphological structure 197
- The interaction between question formation and verbal morphology in the acquisition of Hebrew 223
- On child subjects in a partially pro -drop language 245
- Resumptive pronouns as a last resort when movement is impaired 267
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Part III. Semantics, pragmatics and discourse
- Bare minimizers 293
- Hebrew negative polarity Items – šum and af 313
- A two-layered analysis of the Hebrew exceptive xuc mi 337
- Codifying apparent inconsistencies in discourse 353
- Index 389
Chapters in this book
- Prelim pages i
- Table of contents v
- Acknowledgement vii
- Current issues in generative Hebrew linguistics 1
-
Part I. The structure of the lexicon
- Morphologically conditioned V-Ø alternation in Hebrew 27
- The special status of nif'al in Hebrew 61
- Object gap constructions 77
- Active lexicon 105
-
Part II. Grammatical features and inflectional morphology
- Definiteness agreement with PP modifiers 137
- Predication and equation in Hebrew (nonpseudocleft) copular sentences 161
- Morphological knowledge without morphological structure 197
- The interaction between question formation and verbal morphology in the acquisition of Hebrew 223
- On child subjects in a partially pro -drop language 245
- Resumptive pronouns as a last resort when movement is impaired 267
-
Part III. Semantics, pragmatics and discourse
- Bare minimizers 293
- Hebrew negative polarity Items – šum and af 313
- A two-layered analysis of the Hebrew exceptive xuc mi 337
- Codifying apparent inconsistencies in discourse 353
- Index 389