Imperative sentences and their subjects
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Yan Masetto
Abstract
This paper aims to examine the nature of imperatives in BP, specifically focusing on the subject of imperatives. The paper’s analysis begins by presenting examples of imperative sentences in BP and highlighting the consistent behaviour of imperatives, where the speaker issues an order to the listener to perform a specific action. It is emphasized that imperatives always require an addressee, someone present in the communicative scene. Although, we introduce the concept of indexical items, which are necessary for interpreting imperatives. The use of quantifiers such as “Everybody” and “Nobody” is also shown to function as second-person indexicals in imperatives. This discussion leads to questions about the structure and syntactic restrictions that allow for the subject in imperatives. The paper is divided into several sections. First, the different forms and functions of imperatives are surveyed. Then, a distinction is made between canonical forms and imperative phrases. Minimalism’s approach is explored to discuss the subject of imperatives and its specificities, including the proposal of a functional head called JussiveP. The proposed syntactic structure of imperatives and the nature and position of the subjects are examined, along with the relevance of the JussiveP head. The paper emphasizes the need to consider specific traits when analysing imperatives and suggest some mandatory adjustments. In conclusion, the paper summarizes the main findings and highlights the importance of studying imperatives in BP, shedding light on their syntactic properties and the role of the subject in these sentences.
Abstract
This paper aims to examine the nature of imperatives in BP, specifically focusing on the subject of imperatives. The paper’s analysis begins by presenting examples of imperative sentences in BP and highlighting the consistent behaviour of imperatives, where the speaker issues an order to the listener to perform a specific action. It is emphasized that imperatives always require an addressee, someone present in the communicative scene. Although, we introduce the concept of indexical items, which are necessary for interpreting imperatives. The use of quantifiers such as “Everybody” and “Nobody” is also shown to function as second-person indexicals in imperatives. This discussion leads to questions about the structure and syntactic restrictions that allow for the subject in imperatives. The paper is divided into several sections. First, the different forms and functions of imperatives are surveyed. Then, a distinction is made between canonical forms and imperative phrases. Minimalism’s approach is explored to discuss the subject of imperatives and its specificities, including the proposal of a functional head called JussiveP. The proposed syntactic structure of imperatives and the nature and position of the subjects are examined, along with the relevance of the JussiveP head. The paper emphasizes the need to consider specific traits when analysing imperatives and suggest some mandatory adjustments. In conclusion, the paper summarizes the main findings and highlights the importance of studying imperatives in BP, shedding light on their syntactic properties and the role of the subject in these sentences.
Kapitel in diesem Buch
- Frontmatter I
- Contents V
- Introduction 1
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Part I: Wh-Exclamatives
- Exclamatives: An overview 23
- On the role of IP-related functional categories in the derivation of wh-exclamatives 53
- “What a great paper!”: A semantic analysis of wh-exclamatives with predicates of personal taste 85
- Copular exclamatives and gender agreement 117
- The perception of wh-exclamatives, free small clauses, and wh-questions in Brazilian Portuguese 143
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Part II: Imperatives
- Imperative clauses 173
- The verbal imperative in Brazilian capitals: An analysis of data from the Linguistic Atlas of Brazil Project 227
- Past imperatives 255
- Imperative sentences and their subjects 283
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Part III: Wh-questions
- A framework for the study of Romance wh-questions, with special reference to Italo-Romance 315
- Using semantic inferences to distinguish between free relative and embedded questions: An analysis of ambiguous embedded clauses 359
- The left-peripheral syntax of Brazilian Portuguese cadê 387
- Aspects of the development of wh-questions in child Brazilian Portuguese 409
- Wh-questions, intervention effects and beyond: An assessment of Brazilian Portuguese-speaking schoolchildren’s linguistic abilities 441
- Subject index 461
Kapitel in diesem Buch
- Frontmatter I
- Contents V
- Introduction 1
-
Part I: Wh-Exclamatives
- Exclamatives: An overview 23
- On the role of IP-related functional categories in the derivation of wh-exclamatives 53
- “What a great paper!”: A semantic analysis of wh-exclamatives with predicates of personal taste 85
- Copular exclamatives and gender agreement 117
- The perception of wh-exclamatives, free small clauses, and wh-questions in Brazilian Portuguese 143
-
Part II: Imperatives
- Imperative clauses 173
- The verbal imperative in Brazilian capitals: An analysis of data from the Linguistic Atlas of Brazil Project 227
- Past imperatives 255
- Imperative sentences and their subjects 283
-
Part III: Wh-questions
- A framework for the study of Romance wh-questions, with special reference to Italo-Romance 315
- Using semantic inferences to distinguish between free relative and embedded questions: An analysis of ambiguous embedded clauses 359
- The left-peripheral syntax of Brazilian Portuguese cadê 387
- Aspects of the development of wh-questions in child Brazilian Portuguese 409
- Wh-questions, intervention effects and beyond: An assessment of Brazilian Portuguese-speaking schoolchildren’s linguistic abilities 441
- Subject index 461
