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Description:
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In this study Terence McKay demonstrates how the principles of the theory
of Government and Binding apply to German syntax and in particular to an
aspect that has exposed especially problematic and interesting issues: the
properties of the infinitival constructions with lassen, scheinen and the
verbs of perception. Previous attempts to account for the syntactic
ambivalence between mono- and bisententiality of these constructions have
been demonstrably inadequate or incomplete. Here Dr. McKay argues
convincingly for a bisentential approach, which is compatible not only with
standard constituency tests but also with the Projection Principle. Such an
approach, interacting with government, binding, theta and case theories,
successfully accounts for the specific facts concerning relativisation,
extraposition, topicalisation, quantifier movement and negative scope
interpretation. The book not only offers important insights into the
structural complexity of German but also makes a valuable contribution to
Government and Binding theory and its application to German, about which
very little has been published so far.
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