LINGUIST List 19.1243
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Sat Apr 12 2008
Qs: Subject/Object Asymmetry in wh- Questions
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1. janet
randall,
Subject/Object Asymmetry in wh- Questions
Message 1: Subject/Object Asymmetry in wh- Questions
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Date: 05-Apr-2008
From: janet randall <randallneu.edu>
Subject: Subject/Object Asymmetry in wh- Questions
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The object/subject wh-questions in (1) and (2) show an asymmetry in whether
they require do-support. Do is required in the object questions but it's
odd in the subject questions.
1. a. [What] did John find [t]?
b. *[What] found John [t]?
2. a. *[Who] did [t] find a hat?
b. [Who] [t] found a hat?
Can anyone recommend a simple account of this for beginning undergraduates?
Linguistic Field(s):
Syntax
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