Ellen Goldberg Ch8

8/3/2019 Ellen Goldberg Ch8

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Where we use SAIWhere we use SAI

1. Questions - Yes/No and wh- (non-subject)

2. Counterfactual conditionals

3. Initial negative adverbs

4. Wishes/Curses5. Exclamatives

6. Comparatives

7. Negative conjunct

8. Positive rejoinder*** The use of SAI in these constructions provides evidence

that SAI does have functional generalization. Theseconstructions do exhibit a unified function.


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SAI CharacteristicsSAI Characteristics

Prototypical sentence: declarative, positive assertion withpredicate-focus information, independent

SAI is different: Negative or non-positive framing

Non-declarative or non-assertive speech acts

Narrow-focus or sentence-focus

Dependent

*** SAI constructions dont have allof these characteristics atonce, but carry a variety of them;NON-POSITIVE framingdominates


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PrototypesPrototypes

Unmarked is the default

Examples (10) home and (11) baby, p. 169

SAIs are markedby their characteristics they are not

prototypical because they differ in some way from the

prototypical sentence

But they are still related to that prototype by the characteristicsthey share with the prototype (subset of relevant attributes)


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QuestionsQuestions

Yes/No questions Non-declarative speech acts

Non-positive propositional content

(12) Did he go?

Wh-questions Non-declarative

Presuppositions

(13) What did he do?

Non-echo subject wh-questions canthave SAI because the wh-question construction requires the wh-word to be sentence initial [Whsubj] [VP]

(14) *Did who leave?


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Counterfactual ConditionalsCounterfactual Conditionals

Presuppose a negative word-to-world fit

Non-positive, non-asserted

Inverted clause is dependent on the following clause

(15a) Had he found a solution, he would take time off and relax.

???Had she known traffic would be so heavy, she would have

left earlier.(15b) *He had found a solution, he would take time off and relax.


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Initial Negative AdverbsInitial Negative Adverbs

Must be construed negatively

(16a) Not until yesterday did he take a break.

??? Neverdid she show up on time.

(16b) *Not until yesterday he did take a break.

SAI cannot occur with positively-framed adverbs

(17a) *Everywhere has he found a solution.

??? Nowhere has she found a solution.(17b) *Yesterday did he take a break.

???Always did she show up late.


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Initial Negative Adverbs (continued)Initial Negative Adverbs (continued)

Examples (18a) and (18b) demonstrate the importance of the

negative implications

(18a) For no money would she leave.

(18b) For no money she would leave.

Examples in (19) show that the perception ofthe negativity is

whats important for this construction.

(19a) Not until yesterday did he take a break.

(19b) He took a break yesterday and not before.

(19c) *Did he take a break yesterday and not before.


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Curse/WishCurse/Wish

An appeal to unspecified forces about an uncontrollable event

Not a declarative speech act (expressive) and a positive isnot asserted or presupposed

May is the only auxiliary that works in this construction

(21a)May you live a good life!

(21b) *Should you live a good life!

No negative polarity

(22) *May you ever lift a finger!

???May you ever be grateful!


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ExclamativesExclamatives

This is the only positive SAI construction

Non-assertive they presuppose

Relationship to rhetorical questions

(23a) Do you want to go?

(23b) Do you want to go or what?

(24) Boy, are you tired or what?!

13% of Google search included or what

Rhetorical questions dont require an answer; nor doexclamatives, which state the obvious or comment on whats

already known


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ComparativesComparatives

OptionalSAI

(27a) He has read more articles than have his classmates

(27b) He has read more articles than his classmates have.

??? She has more patience than has her sister.??? She has more patience than her sister has.

Subject argument must have a narrow focus (not topic-

comment)

Dependent clauses


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Comparatives (continued)Comparatives (continued)

Do we use SAI in comparatives because theres a tendency to

put heaver/longer constituents at the end of a clause?

Yes - VP ellipsis is requiredin the inverted clause and the

lexical subject is clause-final

(29b) He has read more articles than have his classmates.


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Comparatives and Indefinite PronounsComparatives and Indefinite Pronouns

What about using indefinite pronouns in comparatives with

SAI?

Subject must be a full lexical NP and cannot be it(28b) *Our library has more articles than has it.

??? He has read more articles than has anyone.

??? He has read more articles than anyone has.

Use of indefinite pronouns in other languages?


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Negative ConjunctNegative Conjunct

Begin with neitherornor

Non-positive

Pragmatically dependent upon another contextually given

proposition must reference a second conjunct

(30a) Neitheris this construction unexpected.

(30b) *Neitherthis construction is unexpected.??? Norcan hebe found guilty.


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Positive RejoinderPositive Rejoinder

Positive

Assertions

Narrow focus on subject argument

Dependent on another evoked proposition

Must involve VP ellipsis(31a) So was I.(31b) *So I was.

(32) *So was I worried.


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Recap of SAI RequirementsRecap of SAI Requirements

P. 179, Figure 8.4


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Motivation for the FormMotivation for the Form

Why do we use non-positives? Newmeyer (2000) suggeststhere is no motive for the form, but Goldberg disagrees (thequestion of autonomous syntax)

The auxiliary is in the non-canonical position, which tells usthe polarity is not canonical either (which would be positive)

Thefirstauxiliary is the only one thats inverted

(33a) Have you been working late?

(33b) *Have been you working late?(33c) *Could have been you working late?

??? Could you have been working late?


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Motivation for the Form (continued)Motivation for the Form (continued)

Is SAI restricted to main clauses? No

(36a) They know that hadshe left on time, shed be here by now.

counterfactual conditional

(36b) She reflected to herself thatneverh

ad

she seen such a

beautiful sight.

clause-initial negative adverb

(36c) Junie B. knew that boy, wasshe in trouble!

exclamative

(36d) I knew that they would spend millions on defense, but I know

equally that notonecent wouldthey give for tribute

negative NP preposing


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Motivation for the Form (continued)Motivation for the Form (continued)

Cross-linguistically, where do we find SAIs?


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ConclusionConclusion

What generalizations can we make about SAIs?

Are they a functional category?

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Ellen Goldberg Ch8