How much verb moves to second position?
-
Josef Bayer
Abstract
In this chapter, it is shown that finite verbs which are attracted by Verb-Second (V2) movement are reconstructed into their base position for interpretation. In fact, the lexical part of the finite verb is never interpreted in its fronted position. We present two groups of empirical findings which strongly support this conclusion. The first group provides grammar-internal evidence for reconstruction, the second group shows that the verb’s reconstruction can also be traced in the process of human sentence comprehension. The German verb brauchen, which happens to be a negative polarity item and thus needs to be interpreted in the scope of negation, provides evidence for the reconstruction process in on-line comprehension. Our discussion is embedded in a review of sentence processing in German. It is shown how processing can be efficient despite the fact that the verb’s semantic contribution may be delayed. Our account of V2 in grammar and parsing supports a rather tight link between the competence grammar and the dynamics of sentence processing.
Abstract
In this chapter, it is shown that finite verbs which are attracted by Verb-Second (V2) movement are reconstructed into their base position for interpretation. In fact, the lexical part of the finite verb is never interpreted in its fronted position. We present two groups of empirical findings which strongly support this conclusion. The first group provides grammar-internal evidence for reconstruction, the second group shows that the verb’s reconstruction can also be traced in the process of human sentence comprehension. The German verb brauchen, which happens to be a negative polarity item and thus needs to be interpreted in the scope of negation, provides evidence for the reconstruction process in on-line comprehension. Our discussion is embedded in a review of sentence processing in German. It is shown how processing can be efficient despite the fact that the verb’s semantic contribution may be delayed. Our account of V2 in grammar and parsing supports a rather tight link between the competence grammar and the dynamics of sentence processing.
Chapters in this book
- Frontmatter I
- Preface V
- Contents VII
- Form and function of verb second – an overview 1
- A grammar competition analysis of V2 phenomena in second language acquisition 47
- How much verb moves to second position? 77
- Notes on the left periphery of V2 complement clauses in German: Complementiser drop and complementiser doubling 123
- Assertive potential, speaker evidence and embedded V2 147
- What kind of main clause phenomenon is V2 in German? 169
- The left periphery as interface – On verb second and finiteness interaction 207
- Variation and change in the licensing of dependent V2 in German 251
- On the licensing of null subjects in Old Venetian 277
- Verb third as Cluster movement in German 295
- On the role of the left periphery in the interpretation of causal Wo-VE-clauses 329
- Parentheticals, root phenomena, and V2 in German 371
- Verb movement and topicalization in German 413
- Addresses 445
- Index 447
Chapters in this book
- Frontmatter I
- Preface V
- Contents VII
- Form and function of verb second – an overview 1
- A grammar competition analysis of V2 phenomena in second language acquisition 47
- How much verb moves to second position? 77
- Notes on the left periphery of V2 complement clauses in German: Complementiser drop and complementiser doubling 123
- Assertive potential, speaker evidence and embedded V2 147
- What kind of main clause phenomenon is V2 in German? 169
- The left periphery as interface – On verb second and finiteness interaction 207
- Variation and change in the licensing of dependent V2 in German 251
- On the licensing of null subjects in Old Venetian 277
- Verb third as Cluster movement in German 295
- On the role of the left periphery in the interpretation of causal Wo-VE-clauses 329
- Parentheticals, root phenomena, and V2 in German 371
- Verb movement and topicalization in German 413
- Addresses 445
- Index 447
