LINGUIST List 13.2695

Fri Oct 18 2002

Qs: 'The Pear Story', Wh-Movement

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  • Pepi Stamouli, query about 'the Pear story'
  • Toru Ishii, WCO and Subjunctive

    Message 1: query about 'the Pear story'

     Date: Thu, 17 Oct 2002 14:32:56 +0300
    From: Pepi Stamouli <pstamilsp.gr>
    Subject: query about 'the Pear story'


    I'd like to know how one goes about getting an actual copy of the film (and if possible, also a video) of "The Pear Story", the film that the text-analytic studies were based on.

    As I understand it, the film was made on a grant to Wallace Chafe from some public agency in the U.S., and should therefore be in the public domain. But I may be wrong.

    If anyone knows how I can order a copy, please let me know.

    I appreciate your help,

    Thank you in advance,

    p.

    Message 2: WCO and Subjunctive

     Date: Fri, 18 Oct 2002 04:29:20 +0000
    From: Toru Ishii <tishiikisc.meiji.ac.jp>
    Subject: WCO and Subjunctive


    Dear All,

    There are two questions I'd like to ask you concerning WH-movement.

    First, Mahajan (1992) observes the following contrast in acceptability regarding the WCO:

    (1) a. John, I think his mother likes [t]. (where ''John'' = ''his'') b.???John, his mother thinks that Mary likes [t]. (where ''John'' = ''his'')

    I'd like to know whether such a contrast can also be observed in the following pairs of sentences:

    (2) a. Who do you think that his teacher scolded [t] in yesterday's geology class? b. Who do his teacher think that Mary scoled [t] in yesterday's geology class?

    (3) a. (Among the students in this classroom) Which student do you think that his teacher scolded [t] in yesterday's geology class? b. (Among the students in this classroom) Which student does his teacher think that Mary scolded [t] in yesterday's geology class?

    (4) a. (Among the students in this classroom) Which student do you think that his teacher talked to [t] on the phone last night? b. (Among the students in this classroom) Which student does his teacher think that Mary talked to [t] on the phone last night?

    (5) a. (Among the laywers in this courtroom) Which laywer do you think that his client went for [t] with knife in the courtroom yesterday? b. (Among the laywers in this courtroom) Which laywer does his client remember that Mary went for [t] with knife in the courtroom yesterday?

    Second, Boeck (2001) observes that no wh-island effects emerge when the indirect questions are subjunctive. I'd like to know whether this generalization on the right track, i.e., whether the following examples are good:

    (6) Which of the new books do you wonder [when you should buy [t]]?

    (7) Which of the students do you wonder [when you should talk to [t]]?

    (8) Which of the companies do you wonder [when you should go to [t]]?

    I'll post a summary if I get enough response. Thanks.

    Toru Ishii Meiji University Tokyo, JAPAN

    Subject-Language: English; Code: ENG

    Language-Family: English; Code: IEFBBBAAA