Check Questions

1 What are complementizers in English? How is it possible to argue that complementizers act like heads?

2 Which type of clauses must be introduced by a complementizer and which need not, i.e. what is the distribution of overt versus covert complementizers?

3 What are canonical structural realisation principles?

4 What runs counter to the claim that complementizers determine the force of a clause?

5 What does it suggest that complementizers and inverted auxiliaries are in complementary distribution?

6 What motivates wh-movement?

7 What are operators?

8 How can A-movement and A-bar movement be distinguished?

9 What are the two sets of assumptions proposed to underlie I-to-C movement?

10 How can it be shown that ’whether’ is not a complementizer?

11 What is the Doubly-Filled COMP Filter?

12 List some general ordering restrictions affecting certain elements in a clause.

13 What are the differences and similarities between restrictive and non-restrictive relative clauses? How are these clauses analysed?

14 Discuss the differences between relative and interrogative pronouns.

15 How can it be shown that ’that’ is not a relative pronoun?

16 Define and exemplify pied-piping and preposition stranding.

17 What are the different types of relative clauses?

18 Define the following terms: topic, focus, comment.

19 What is the order of wh-elements and topicalised elements in matrix and embedded contexts?

20 What are the three types of movement placing an element to the front of the clause?

21 How can it be shown that the negative element in negative fronting does not occupy the [Spec, CP] position?

22 What is the distribution of the following elements relative to each other: topic, fronted negative, focus?