Table Of ContentCONTROL IN GRAMMAR AND PRAGMATICS
LINGUISTIK AKTUELL
This series provides a platform for studies in the syntax,
semantics, and pragmatics of the Germanic languages
and their historical developments.
The focus of the series is represented by its German title
Linguistik Aktuell (Linguistics Today).
Texts in the series are in English.
Series Editor
Werner Abraham
Germanistisch Instituut
Rijksuniversiteit Groningen
Oude Kijk in ’t Jatstraat 26
9712 EK Groningen
The Netherlands
E-mail: [email protected]
Advisory Editorial Board
Guglielmo Cinque (University of Venice)
Günther Grewendorf (University of Stuttgart)
Liliane Haegeman (University of Geneva)
Hubert Haider (University of Salzburg)
Christer Platzack (University of Lund)
Ian Roberts (University of Stuttgart)
Ken Safir (Rutgers University, New Brunswick NJ)
Höskuldur Thráinsson (University of Iceland, Reykjavik)
Lisa deMena Travis (McGill University)
Sten Vikner (University of Stuttgart)
C. Jan-Wouter Zwart (University of Groningen)
Volume 27
Rudolf Ru°z(cid:1)i†ka
Control in Grammar and Pragmatics. A cross-linguistic study.
CONTROL IN GRAMMAR
AND PRAGMATICS
A CROSS-LINGUISTIC STUDY
° (cid:1) (cid:1)
RUDOLF RUZICKA
University of Leipzig
JOHN BENJAMINS PUBLISHING COMPANY
AMSTERDAM / PHILADELPHIA
TM The paper used in this publication meets the minimum requirements of
8 American National Standard for Information Sciences — Permanence of
Paper for Printed Library Materials, ANSI Z39.48-1984.
Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data
R u°z(cid:1)ic(cid:1)ka, Rudolf.
Control in grammar and pragmatics : a cross-linguistic study / Rudolf R u°z(cid:1)ic(cid:1)ka.
p. cm. -- (Linguistik aktuell / Linguistics today, ISSN 0166-0829; v. 27)
Includes bibliographical references and index.
1. Control (Linguistics) 2. Grammar, Comparative and general. 3. Pragmatics. I. Title. II.
Series: Linguistik aktuell ; Bd. 27.
P299.C596R89 1999
415--dc21 99-22394
isbn 90 272 2748 9 (eur) / 1 55619 911 2 (us) (Hb; alk. paper) CIP
© 1999 – John Benjamins B.V.
No part of this book may be reproduced in any form, by print, photoprint, microfilm, or any other
means, without written permission from the publisher.
John Benjamins Publishing Co. · P.O.Box 75577 · 1070 an amsterdam · The Netherlands
John Benjamins North America · P.O.Box 27519 · Philadelphia pa 19118-0519 · usa
Preface
This study has grown out of a series of papers starting with “Remarks on
Control” (Linguistic Inquiry, 1983), and reflects a gradual process of clarify-
ing my insights into the phenomena of Control and what is related to it. I have
presented my views in lectures and courses at the Universities, academic
institutions or Congresses in Brighton (Sussex), Leeds, Stockholm, Lund,
Gothenburg, Prague, Kiew, Zagreb, Hamburg, Frankfurt, Berlin, Munich,
Leipzig, and Jena.
I wish to acknowledge the helpful comments and criticisms of a number
of colleagues and friends, including Adriana Belletti, Manfred Bierwisch,
Guglielmo Cinque, Milka Ivic´, John Lyons, Jarmila Panevová, Barbara
Partee, Luigi Rizzi, Inger Rosengren, Petr Sgall, Peter Suchsland, and Ljubov
Vladimirovna Zlatoustova. I am particularly indebted to Werner Abraham for
his valuable suggestions and comments on both content and exposition.
Naturally, the final decisions have all been mine.
Finally, I want to express my gratitude to María del Mar Rodríguez
Fernández and Ralf R*uzicka for much technical help.
Contents
Chapter 1. Introduction 1
Chapter 2. Preliminaries
2.1. Reflections on Control and its domains 3
2.1.1. Control and economy conditions 3
2.1.2. On the array of Control – Its central domain – 5
2.1.3. Other major domains of Control 6
2.1.3.1. Controlled complement clauses with filled C(P) 6
2.1.3.2. Controlled clauses as adjuncts 9
2.1.3.2.1. Infinitival S-structures 9
2.1.3.2.2. Control in free participial and nominal adjuncts 10
2.2. Approaches to Control 12
2.2.1. Emergence of Control 12
2.2.2. The configurational approach 13
2.2.2.1. Manzini’s theory 13
2.2.2.2. Kayne’s similar approach 16
2.2.2.3. On the arbitrariness of PRO 19
arb
2.2.2.4. Configurational and binding approaches extended 22
2.2.3. Questions posed to Control 23
2.2.4. Clausal status of the controlled phrase or the propositional
vs. the attributive account of Control 23
2.2.5. ¨-roles an d Control 24
2.2.6. Specification of thematic properties and Control domains 25
2.3. Organization of the study and languages considered 27
Chapter 3. The theory outlined
3.1. Object Control – a pilot demonstration 29
3.2. Constraints on “object” Control 30
3.2.1. Shape of the constraint 30
viii Contents
3.2.2. Markedness as opposite feature values 34
3.2.3. Unmarked and marked Control constraint as a
functional instantiation of lexical features 38
3.2.4.1. Interpreting and extending effects of the markedness
distinction in constraint (B,b) 40
3.2.4.2. Violations of constraint (B,b). 41
3.2.5. Violating the m(arked) constraint and cross-linguistic
variation. Multiple options 43
3.3. Grammar and recourse to pragmatics 44
3.4. Nominalized Russian prosit’(sja) 49
3.5. When pro takes over 51
3.6. A Comparison with an alternative analysis 52
Chapter 4. The persuade subclass and cognate ones subject to the
general constraint
4.1. persuade versus ask. Parameterization in pragmatics 55
4.2. On complement unaccusatives and unergatives 64
4.3. Neutralization of the null object parameter with respect
to Control of persuade complements 65
4.4. Further subclasses obeying constraint (B,b) 67
4.4.1. The teach subclass 67
4.4.2. The case of signal as a Control verb 69
4.4.3. teach and ask. Larson’s comparison 72
4.4.4. A subclass of Control verbs subcategorizing for an
oblique object 76
4.5. Ambiguous allow in Control and ECM-contexts 81
4.6. Lexically saturated theta-roles 85
Chapter 5. The case of promise
5.1. Tenacity and untenability of subject Control 87
5.2. A classical violation 93
5.3. Violating the unmarked constraint 97
5.4. A structural-pragmatic conflict? 99
5.5. Larson’s division of labor 104
5.6. The analogous case of threaten 105
5.7. Considering the raising analysis of promise and threaten 106
5.8. Intervention of modal verbs 109
Contents ix
Chapter 6. No Choice of Controller
6.1. Matrix active clauses 113
6.1.1. The case of try / attempt 113
6.1.2. try vs. intend 117
6.1.3. Effects on passive controlled clauses and unspecified PRO 119
6.1.4. Non-passive controlled clauses failing condition (D) 121
6.2. Matrix passive clauses 123
6.3. Raising contexts 127
Chapter 7. Reflexive clitic impersonal clauses in Control structures
7.1. The situation in Slavic languages 129
7.2. Control and reflexive passive The status of pro in
impersonal reflexive clauses as a prerequisite for
controlling 130
Chapter 8. “Self-control” with evaluating and attitudinal predicates
8.1. Adjectival predicates 137
8.1.1. Two basic situations 137
8.1.1.1. Situation (a) and Epstein’s formula 138
8.1.1.2. Situation (b) 141
8.1.2. For “better” or “worse” 147
8.2. Verbal predicates of evaluational or attitudinal character 148
8.2.1. The oblique object controller 148
8.2.2. The subject controller 148
Chapter 9. Aspects of control in the “grain problem” and in
VP-deletion
9.1. The “grain problem” and reciprocal constructions 151
9.2. Freedom of constraints as a precondition for strict identity in
anaphoric contexts 153
Chapter 10. Summary and conclusions, with some remaining
questions
10.1. Essentials and main general proposal 155
10.2. The constraints and markedness 157
10.3. The classes of Control 158
10.3.1. Control class (B,b) (=II) and its main subclasses 158
10.3.1.1. The ask-type subclass (II)a 158
x Contents
10.3.1.2. The persuade subclass (II)b 160
10.3.1.3. Subclass (II)c 162
10.3.1.4. Verbs of peculiar behavior in (II) 163
10.3.2. Control class subject to (B, a) (= I) 163
10.3.3. Self-regulating Control 165
10.3.3.1. The case of try and related verbs 165
10.3.3.2. A related Control process of evaluating and attitudinal
Control elements 166
10.3.3.3. Verbal predicates indifferent to thematic feature 167
constraints
10.4. Thematic and nonthematic Control 168
10.4.1. Two particular verbs 168
10.4.1.1. The German control verb vorschlagen 168
10.4.1.2. agree as control verb 169
10.4.2. Control in infinitival adjuncts introduced by ohne 169
(without)
10.5. Closing remarks 171
Chapter 11. Turning to the Minimalist Program
11.1. On the status of control 175
11.2. Derivational and inherent economy 176
11.3. Thematic features 176
11.4. Control treated with the PRO-theoreme 177
11.4.1. Conceptual considerations 177
11.4.2. Syntactic treatment 178
11.4.3. A different class of control verbs 179
11.4.4. Markedness 180
11.5. Can pragmatics be parametrized? 180
11.6. On approaches that give up postulating PRO 181
11.6.1. General conditions 181
11.6.2. Control in terms of a calculus of features 182
11.6.3. An illustration of control relations described without
positing PRO 184
11.6.4. Dispensing with PRO and pro 186
Notes 187
References 197
Subject index 205
