1 On tough-movement* Milan Rezac, University ... - Multimania.co.uk

4.3.2 The Highest Subject Restriction
Another positional restriction on the gap in OP clauses is that it cannot be the subject of the
matrix of the OP clause. This contrasts with both regular wh-movement and with subject-gap
infinitival relatives (Williams 1980, Browning 1989:25f., Bhatt 1999), (55).
(55) a. *Nuwa is easy e to halt the flood.
b. the woman e to halt the flood.
c. the woman that e halted the flood.
I propose to identify the phenomenon with the Highest Subject Restriction known from work
on resumptive constructions. This blocks a pronoun (but not a trace) from being Ā-bound too
locally, e.g. from occupying [Spec, TP] if bound from within the C-system of the same
functional sequence; this is illustrated in (56) for Czech (see Borer 1984, McCloskey 1990,
Shlonsky 1992, Boeckx 2003:83ff.).
(56) a. To je ta holka i [co se *(ji i ) von líbil].
that is that girl such.that SE her-DAT he-NOM appealed.he
That's the girl that he appealed to.
b. To je ta holka i [co (*vona i ) se mu líbila i ].
that is that girl such.that she-NOM SE he-DAT appealed.she
That's the girl that appealed to him. (Czech)
Some types of strong agreement are subject to a similar Anti-Agreement Effect (Ouhalla
1993, Richards 2001:147ff.). The two phenomena are probably one and the same, for example
because this kind of strong agreement is a pronoun in the relevant respect (Ouhalla 1993, Rezac
2004a:245ff.). It is unlikely that the OP clause matrix, which is infinitival, has agreement of any
sort. Straightforwardly interpreted then, the appearance Highest Subject Restriction on the OPgap
chain is indicative of the gap being a base-generated pronoun rather than an Ā-movement
trace (copy). 25
4.3.3 Subject/object asymmetries in TM gaps
Pronominal nature of the gap might be recruited to explain the subject/object asymmetries it
shows. Extraction from embedded subject positions in wh-movement is well-formed: the subject
of an ECM infinitive, a tensed bridge verb complement lacking a complementizer, and small
clause subject, all extract without a problem. In tough-movement however, gaps in these
positions are subject to varying degrees of degradation, (57)a. This cannot reflect a general ban
on left branch gaps, since selected-for left branch gaps are not nearly as degraded, (57)b.
(57) a. *Smith was easy for Jones to expect e to recover.
b. Smith was easy for Jones to force e to recover.
(Chomsky 1973:254 note 33)
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