The Syntax of Adjuncts

Thomas Ernst (University of Massachusetts, Amherst)

The Syntax of Adjuncts
Format
Hardback
Publisher
Cambridge University Press
Country
United Kingdom
Published
20 December 2001
Pages
568
ISBN
9780521771344

The Syntax of Adjuncts

Thomas Ernst (University of Massachusetts, Amherst)

This book proposes a theory of the distribution of adverbial adjuncts in a Principles and Parameters framework, claiming that there are few syntactic principles specific to adverbials; rather, for the most part, adverbials adjoin freely to any projection. Adjuncts’ possible hierarchical positions are determined by whether they can receive a proper interpretation, according to their selectional (including scope) requirements and general compositional rules, while linear order is determined by hierarchical position along with a system of directionality principles and morphological weight, both of which apply generally to adjuncts and all other syntactic elements. A wide range of adverbial types is analyzed; predicational adverbs (such as manner, and modal adverbs), domain expressions like financially, temporal, frequency, duration, and focusing adverbials; participant PPs (e.g. locatives and benefactives); resultative and conditional clauses, and others, taken primarily from English, Chinese, French, and Italian, with occasional reference to others (such as German and Japanese).

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