The syntax of inflection(17) represents the D- and S-structures of the sentence Sam should phone Fiona. As
discussed in the previous chapter, the agent originates in the specifier of a light verb,
the position to which this -role is assigned. It moves to the specifier of the IP, a
process we will discuss in the next section. The verb heads the lower VP and moves to
support the light verb. The inflectional element is unaffected by any process. Exactly
the same is true for an infinitival clause:
(18) a IP
DP I'
- I vP
to DP v'
Sam v VP
e DP V'
Fiona V
phone
b IP
DP I'
Sam 2 I vP
to DP v'
t 2 v VP
phone 1 v DP V'
e Fiona V
t 1
Here (18) provides the D- and S-structures for the infinitival IP in a sentence like I
want [Sam to phone Fiona]. Again, the same movement processes are observable and
again none of these involves the inflection itself.