Acqusisition of Syntax

1. Acqusisition of Syntax continued

2. Who do you think eats bananas? • You think [John eats bananas]. • You think who eats bananas. • Who do you think __ eats bananas? • 2 clauses; the embedded clause is finite • Long wh-movement (out of the lower embedded clause into the higher matrix clause) • The wh-word is the subject of the embedded clause

3. What does William want to play? • William wants to play the piano. • William wants [ William/PROto play the piano]. • William wants to play what. • What does William want to play __? • 2 clauses; the embedded clause is infinitive • Long wh-movement • The wh-word is the object of the embedded clause

4. What do you think the witch drank ? • What do you think the witch drank __? • 2 clauses; the embedded clause is finite • Long wh-movement • The wh-word is the object of the embedded clause

5. He will buy cakes. CP C’ Spec TP=IP T’=I’ VP Subject moves from Spec-VP to Spec-IP (VP-internal hypothesis) will V’ he cakes buy

6. He will buy cakes. CP C’ Spec TP=IP he T’=I’ VP Subject moves from Spec-VP to Spec-IP (VP-internal hypothesis) will C’ t cakes buy

7. What will he buy ? CP C’ Spec CP TP=IP I-to-C or T-to-C movement he T’=I’ VP Object moves from Comp-VP to Spec-CP (VP-internal hypothesis) will V’ t what buy

8. What will he buy? I-to-C or I-to-T movement Subject moves from Spec-VP to Spec-IP (VP-internal hypothesis) Wh-movement

9. Truncation theory • CP  TP  VP • The child may omit higher projections, e.g. CP or CP&TP; however, if a higher projection is present, all projections below it must be present as well • In wh-sentences (CP projected), TP should be present