On Tough Constructions in French
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2006-02-01
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University of Hawai'i at Mānoa Department of Linguistics
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2006
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Abstract
This working paper examines tough predication in French. Two different morphemes are used to introduce the infinitival clause that follows a tough predicate. When the matrix subject is the expletive il ‘it’, the infinitival is introduced by de, while tough constructions with NP subject are marked by à. This paper provides evidence that these morphological differences reflect syntactic differences. Using Generative Syntax as a framework, I show that de is a complementizer subcategorizing for an IP[-fin] and argue that à is the head of vP, fulfilling the same role as –en in passive constructions.
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linguistics
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Guerin, Valerie. 2006. On Tough Constructions in French. University of Hawai‘i at Mānoa Working Papers in Linguistics 37(1).
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Creative Commons Attribution Non-Commercial Share Alike License
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