Exercise 6(v) In sentence (1e) there are two predicates: expect and win. The surface
ordering of the constituents is identical with structure (5) repeated here as (5)’.
(5)’ DPnom – V – DPacc – V – (DP)
We have already seen that superficially the relevant part of sentences (1b) and (1c)
are identical, but it turned out that it is not. The question is whether the verb expect
behaves like the verb want or the verb persuade. To answer this question we need to
know the lexical entry of the verbs in the sentence.
(7) a expect category: [–F, –N, +V]
-grid: <experiencer, proposition>
subcat: sentential
b win category: [–F, –N, +V]
-grid: <agent, theme>
subcat: nominalExercise 6
DPs undergo DP movement for Case. DP movement can target Spec,IP under the
condition that this position is not filled by the thematic (deep) subject of the predicate
of the clause. DP movement must be local. DPs move in a cyclic manner. DPs have to
move to each Spec,IP on their way to the highest Spec,IP where they can get case.
There can be no DP that intervenes between the head and the foot of the chain formed
by the movement of the element.
In sentence (1a) the DP John is the thematic subject of the verb meet. The
inflectional head of the most embedded sentence is non-finite, it cannot assign case
therefore the subject of the embedded verb has to move to a case position. The
predicates likely and seem are raising predicates. They have no thematic subjects. The
Spec,IP positions of the sentences lexically headed by these raising predicates are
empty. The DP John can move to the Spec,IP position of the matrix sentence. This
movement is problematic, as it does not land in each Spec,IP position on its way up to
the highest Spec,IP. The expletive it occupies the intermediate subject position of the
clause lexically headed by the adjective likely. The expletive it intervenes between the
head of the chain formed by the moved DP and the foot of the chain, its trace. Locality
is not respected, hence the sentence is ungrammatical.
In sentence (1b) we seem to have the same problem as in sentence (1a). The verb
hate is a two-place predicate. It has an experiencer subject and a theme object. The
matrix sentence contains the raising verb seem that does not have a thematic subject,
therefore the Spec,IP position of the matrix sentence is available as a landing site for
the DP to move there for case. As can be seen the object DP of the embedded sentence
moves to the subject position of the matrix sentence. This movement is illegitimate as
the subject of the embedded sentence the DP Mary intervenes between the moved DP
and its trace in the VP of the embedded sentence. Locality is not respected. Also, John
is assigned Case in its base position, it does not have to undergo Case-motivated
movement at all.
In sentence (1c) as the derivation shows the moved DP is the thematic experiencer
subject of the predicate clever. This DP moves to the subject position of the matrix