LINGUIST List 9.30

Sun Jan 11 1998

Qs: Modals, Connectionism, Zwarts' Ref., GB

Editor for this issue: Martin Jacobsen <martylinguistlist.org>

Directory

1. Kenji Kashino, Modals
2. Wesley Schwein, Connectionism and 2nd Language Learning
3. Paul Millar, Zwarts' Article
4. Tibor Szecsenyi, Preposition + PRO

Hi! I have some questions about English modals.
Which modal is more suitable in (1) and (2)?

(1) Bill isn't eating his food. He (doesn't have to / may not) be
hungry.

(2) A: Someone is knocking on the door. It must be John.
 B: It (doesn't have to / may not) be John. It could be George.

In the following example, does "It doesn't have to be Dexter." have
the meanin g of (4a) or (4b)? The context of example (3) is as
follows: FBI is looking f or a senator who hatches a plot to
assassinate the U S President. They narrowed th e suspicious senators
down to five. This is what Mark said after someone told

Mark that it is Dexter.

(3) "The other four senators may have more powerful motives we don't
happen to know about. It doesn't have to be Dexter," continued Mark,
sounding unconvinced.
(4) a. It is not certain that it is Dexter.
 b. It is possible that it is not Dexter.

Please e-mail me directly.

With thanks in advance and best wishes,
Kenji Kashino (Kenny)

I'm interested in finding up-to-date articles about connectionist
approaches to 2nd language learning/acquisition but have not been able
to locate any more recent than the following. Has any more work been
done in this vein in the last few years?

Shirai, Yasuhiro. Yap, Foong-ha. 1993. "In Defense of
Connectionism." _Issues in Applied Linguistics_ 4:1 119-133.

- ------------------------------------------------------------------
Wesley Schwein Doubt is not a pleasant condition, but
 certainty is absurd. --Voltaire

I am looking for an unpublished article written by Joost Zwarts (1993)
titled "Pronouns and N-to-D movement", from Utrecht University. If
anyone knows where I might get hold of this article please contact
me. Or if they know the address or email address of Joost Zwarts, that
would also be helpful.

Thank you for your help.

Sincerely,
Valerie Baggaley
email: pmillarcadvision.com

Is there anyone who could help me to solve a problem related to GB
theory?

In the sentences
	I left without PRO saying a word.
			and 
	I left without John saying a word.

what blocks PRO from getting casemarking and ensures at the same time
that the overt NP standing in te same position IS casemarked? Any
ideas?

Thanks, Krisztina Szecsenyi

Answers to szecsenyjgytf.u-szeged.hu