Outlines an analysis that seeks to show that the differences between English restrictive and nonrestrictive clauses can be analyzed within the Government-Binding Theory, argues against the assumption that only nominals can be subjects, and argues that the assumption that Spec-Head agreement applies within CP, which plays an important role in one…

A brief overview is presented of previous theoretical treatments of the verb-preposition construction, concentrating on three Government Binding Theory treatments. Arguments are outlined that support a different analysis of this type of construction. (24 references) (Author/VWL)

This paper grounds a novel typology yielding three major types of English (L(eft)-extraction, defined by their relationship to resumptive pronouns (RPs): (1) B-extractions, which require RPs in their extraction sites, (2) A1-extractions, which allow RPs in their extraction sites, and (3) A2-extractions, which forbid RPs in their extraction sites.…

Attempts to shed light on the selection of future time expressions in English tense usage. Descriptive accounts of time usage expressions are reinterpreted against the background of the theory of utterance interpretation known as Relevance Theory. (31 references) (Author/VWL)

It is shown that metrical theory as an independent module plays a central role in English vowel-length alternations in spite of formerly accepted rule-based apparatus explanations. An argument is made for a "representational" rather than "derivational" approach to metrical structure, based on well-formedness conditions or…

Demonstrates that underspecification of lexical-entry forms enables the restriction of phonological theory to declarative statements about the structure of lexical items and to avoid having recourse to feature-changing and deletion rules. (61 references) (VWL)

Examines a set of traditional problems involving the indefinite article and its contrast with the definite article in English. The variability in definite interpretations and the nature of the contrast between "a" and "the" is illustrated, and an explanation for cooccurrence restrictions involving the definite article is provided. (62 references)…

Examines the notion of "head" in syntax and the extent to which it extends to morphology in English, and discusses the notion of headedness and percolation. The argument is made that percolation in English does not work, casting doubt on the notion of head in morphology. (34 references) (GLR)

This article presents evidence supporting the syntactic nature of adjunct extraction in English and other languages, including the coextensiveness of adjunct and argument extraction and their parallelism with respect to strong/weak crossover effects. Also discussed is the challenge that binding domain effects pose for accounts of adjunct…

Reviews problems and advantages of approaches to analysis of vowel length in Standard Scottish English and Scots dialects. It is suggested that insufficient attention has been paid to operation of Scottish Vowel-Length Rule at level 1 of the lexicon, in ablaut past-tense forms, and with noun plural fricative voicing and that consideration of these…

Analysis middle constructions in English, accounting for their key syntactic and semantic properties. The analysis rests on the observation that there are certain similarities between middle, "tough," and recipe-context null-object constructions. (55 references) (VWL)

Describes study designed to contribute empirical evidence about syllables from native speakers' actual syllabification of words and determine how evidence reflects on syllable theories proposed. Concludes speakers can recognize and isolate basic syllables as phonological unit within words; there are basic constraints on shapes of syllables all…