A new theory of null-subjects of finite verbs in young children
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Kenneth Wexler
Abstract
This paper proposes a new theory of why null-subjects of finite verbs are produced by young children developing a non-null-subject language. We first show that one of the extant theories, Topic-Drop, isn’t supported. Modifying ideas proposed in Rizzi (2006), we assume that finite null-subjects arise in the specifier of a root TP, and may be null as the result of phasal computation. But we reject the idea that the selection of a root is an arbitrary, parametric process. Using new work in syntactic theory that relates information structure (namely undistinguished subjects) to root Tense Phrases (Mikkelsen 2010), we argue that children select undistinguished subjects in situations that don’t warrant them, resulting in root TP and null-subjects.
Abstract
This paper proposes a new theory of why null-subjects of finite verbs are produced by young children developing a non-null-subject language. We first show that one of the extant theories, Topic-Drop, isn’t supported. Modifying ideas proposed in Rizzi (2006), we assume that finite null-subjects arise in the specifier of a root TP, and may be null as the result of phasal computation. But we reject the idea that the selection of a root is an arbitrary, parametric process. Using new work in syntactic theory that relates information structure (namely undistinguished subjects) to root Tense Phrases (Mikkelsen 2010), we argue that children select undistinguished subjects in situations that don’t warrant them, resulting in root TP and null-subjects.
Chapters in this book
- Prelim pages i
- Table of contents v
- Introduction 1
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Part I. Argument structure and clause-internal syntax in children
- Animacy, argument structure and unaccusatives in child English 13
- Remarks on theoretical accounts of Japanese children’s passive acquisition 35
- Early or late acquisition of inflected infinitives in European Portuguese? 65
- The relationship between determiner omission and root infinitives in child English 89
- The semantics of the tense deficit in child Spanish SLI 107
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Part II. The DP domain
- The acquisition of reflexives and pronouns by Faroese children 131
- Pronouns vs. definite descriptions 157
- An L2 study on the production of stress patterns in English compounds 185
- The syntactic domain of content 205
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Part III. Learning theory
- There-insertion 251
- Metalinguistic skills of children 271
- Children’s Grammatical Conservatism 291
- Contributing to linguistic theory, language description and the characterization of language development through experimental studies 309
- A new theory of null-subjects of finite verbs in young children 325
- Index 357
Chapters in this book
- Prelim pages i
- Table of contents v
- Introduction 1
-
Part I. Argument structure and clause-internal syntax in children
- Animacy, argument structure and unaccusatives in child English 13
- Remarks on theoretical accounts of Japanese children’s passive acquisition 35
- Early or late acquisition of inflected infinitives in European Portuguese? 65
- The relationship between determiner omission and root infinitives in child English 89
- The semantics of the tense deficit in child Spanish SLI 107
-
Part II. The DP domain
- The acquisition of reflexives and pronouns by Faroese children 131
- Pronouns vs. definite descriptions 157
- An L2 study on the production of stress patterns in English compounds 185
- The syntactic domain of content 205
-
Part III. Learning theory
- There-insertion 251
- Metalinguistic skills of children 271
- Children’s Grammatical Conservatism 291
- Contributing to linguistic theory, language description and the characterization of language development through experimental studies 309
- A new theory of null-subjects of finite verbs in young children 325
- Index 357
