Null Constituents An introduction to Syntax

Presented by: Innovative Group Liaqat Ali Mohsin Yasir Subhani Tahir Nadeem M. Shahbaz Faisal Mehmood

Called empty categories Null categories have no overt phonetic features They have semantic and grammatical functions in the sentence

Subjects have no overt phonetic features They have semantic and grammatical functions in the sentence

Null Subject
1. Nonfinite Null Subject
e.g. She would like (you) to stay PRN
she T would V like TP PRN PRO/You/ T to T V stay

TP T

VP

Null Subject
1. Imperative Null Subject (2nd person is conceived)
1. 2. (You) dont lose your nerve Dont lose your nerve
TP T T dont V lose D your DP N nerve VP

PRN You/

Null Subject
1. Truncated Null Subject. (informal use of English)
1. 2. I can find my pen Can find my pen
TP PRN I/ T Can T VP

V find D My

DP

N pen

Null Subject
1. Finite Null Subject (some languages)
1.

Found in Italian Language

speaker a: Maria e` tornata? Maria is returned? (Has Maria returned?) speaker b: S`, pro e` tornata Yes, pro is returned (Yes, she has returned)

No auxiliary with finite clauses They have semantic and grammatical functions in the sentence Auxiliary is left because of Gapping process (Head of phrase is null spell out) Have Cliticisation is not possible because of null auxiliary Have Cliticisation is test for null auxiliary

Null Auxiliary
1. Null Auxiliary in finite clauses
1. 2. She could have helped him She have helped him
TP PRN She T has V left D her DP N home T VP TP

PRN She
T

T
AUXP

Could/ Aux have

VP

V PRN helped him

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All finite clauses are TPs headed by an overt or null T constituent, It is the locus of the tense properties of a clause. The T head plays role in determining the meaning of the overall structure

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NULL T IN INDICATIVE MOOD

1. 2. 3. She enjoys syntax She enjoyed syntax Did/does have tense affixes, ed/s
TP

TP

PRN she T

PRN she T

VP

VP

V enjoys

NP syntax

V enjoyed

NP syntax

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NULL T
1. 2. She does enjoy syntax. She enjoys syntax Second sentence has no auxiliary but it determines mood and tense
TP TP TP PRN she T

PRN she

PRN she VP T

T does

VP

VP

do+Af3sPres/Af3sPres
V enjoy NP syntax

V enjoy

NP syntax

V enjoys

NP syntax

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AFFIX HOPPING
In PF components, many morphological operations apply One of them is Affix Hopping At PF, an unattached affix Af is lowered onto the head of the complement of the constituent that contains Af. He enjoys syntax and has learned a lot (coordination is only of similar things)
TP

TP

TP
T

PRN she T does

PRN she VP

PRN she

T
Af3sPres

VP

VP

V enjoy

NP syntax

V enjoy

NP syntax

V NP enjoys syntax

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All finite clauses are TPs headed by an overt or null T constituent Subjunctive clause is also a type of infinite clause In it, subjunctive modal can optionally have a null spell out

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TP

NULL T IN SUBJUNCTIVE CLAUSES

T PRN she T /Af V wanted C that VP

CP TP T

She wanted that he (should)have a chance

PRN he T Should/

VP V have D a A second DP AP N chance

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All Infinite clauses are TPs headed by an overt or null T constituent with V or VP complement The head of an infinitive clause is null spell out

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TP T

PRN I T can

NULL T IN INFINITIVE CLAUSES

VP TP T

I can let you (to) have my password

V let

PRN you

T to
V have

VP DP D my N password

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NULL T IN FINITE AND INFINITE CLAUSES

TP

PRN she T Af3sPres/

VP

V want TP

All finite & infinite clauses are TPs headed by an overt or null T constituent.

PRN him T to/

VP

V enjoy

NP syntax

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The complementizer (if, that)in finite clause is omitted That makes declarative force while if makes interrogative force It helps to determine uniform characterization of all finite clauses that they manifest force feature Complementizer is obligatory in subjunctive clause

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NULL C IN FINITE CLAUSES

TP PRN she T V said T VP

She said (that) she was tired

CP

C That/

TP

PRN she T was

V tired

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NULL C IN FINITE CLAUSES

TP PRN I T /Af T VP TP

I wonder where (that)she has gone

V wonder

PRN where

CP
C That/ PRN she TP T

T has

V gone

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CATEGORY UNIFORMITY PRINCIPLE

CP

All constituents of the same type belong to the same category All the clauses with the same force belong to same category

C PRN I

TP T

T am V feeling

VP

A thirsty

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FORCE INTERPRETATION CONDITION

The clause is interpreted as force it has There can be declarative, interrogative, exclamative and TP imperative force
TP T T

PRN I

VP

T /Af

V TP wonder PRN where C

PRN I CP

VP CP C TP PRN you VP T

T /Af

V know

TP PRN you
T are V hiding T

T are
N nuts V hiding

VP
N nuts

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The complementizer (for)in infinite clause is omitted That makes declarative force while if makes interrogative force Complementizer is found with the help of coordination test of clauses

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NULL C IN INFINITE CLAUSES

TP

She wanted (for) him to visit a doctor

T PRN she VP T /Af V wanted C for/

CP

TP
PRN him T T to V visit D a VP DP N doctor

This example indicates Null C (for) I want (for)[Mary to come to Japan] and [for her to see my parents]

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Nouns and pronouns have specific morphological cases Cases are nominative (he), accusative (him)and genitive(his) Null complementizer determine the case of pronouns C command (the effect on immediate following constituents) plays important role in all operations especially case marking

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NULL C AND CASE MAKING AND STRUCTURAL CASE ASSIGNMENT

A transitive head assigns accusative case to noun or pronoun which is C commanded Nominative case if C commanded by intransitive finite C (that, if) or Null C Null case if C commanded by null intransitive infinite C
TP
PRN I T

T would
V prefer

VP
CP C For/ TP

I would prefer for/ him to meet them (Null C & Trans V) Every one knows that, If/ he is crazy (Null finite C) I will arrange for[PRO to see a specialist](C commanded by Null Intransitive infinite C)

PRN him
T to

T
VP V meet PRN them

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EARLINESS PRINCIPLE
Operations apply as early in a derivation as possible Derivation is the accusative case which is C commanded by transitive verb
TP
PRN I T

T would
V prefer

VP
CP C For/ TP

PRN him
T to

T
VP V meet PRN them

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The exceptional or incomplete clauses because it lacks CP layer They are different from complete clauses which have CP layer They have infinitive complement clauses They are called Exceptional Case-Marking Clauses or ECM clauses They cant be coordinated with for-infinitives

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DEFECTIVE CLAUSES
TP

They believe him to be innocent There is no CP in this TP This complement clause cant be coordinated with for him to hurt you

T PRN They T VP V believe PRN him T to V be

TP
T

VP

A innocent

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IMPENETRABILITY CONDITION

A constituent in the domain of (i.e. c-commanded by) a complementiser is impenetrable to (and so cannot be attracted by) a higher head ccommanding the complementiser

[CP [C ] [TP You [Twerent] intended [CP [Cfor] [TP you [Tto] hurt anyone]]]]

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Nominals are noun expressions Bare nominals are headed by overt determiner or quantifier The null determiners indicate the definite nouns Bare nominals are coordinated with DPs

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BARE NOMINALS AND DP HYPOTHESIS

The assumption that all definite noun expressions are DPs (including null determiners) is known as DP Hypothesis
CP
C TP

DP
D N T John Af

T
VP V admire DP

D John admires Mary John and [the chairman] are attending a meeting (test for Null D) Eggs and many dairy products cause cholesterol Q Id like toasts and some coffee please

Mary
QP N Eggs/toasts

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It was all about INNOVATIONS