Speaker: Gianluca Porta (Ulster University)
Title: Causing extraction
Time: Tuesday, April 30th, 1pm – 2pm
Location: 32-D461
Abstract: A well-known distinction between arguments and adjuncts is that only the former allow extraction. A number of reasons for the island status of adjuncts have been proposed (e.g. Haung’s (1982) CED). Recent experimental studies challenged the categorical island status of adjuncts. In this talk I will present data that suggest that there can be extraction from them, and I will propose a theory to account for the data. I will show that an adjunct becomes transparent when there is a relationship of causation between the adjunct (the causing event) and the matrix clause (the caused event). I will apply this theory to two types of adjuncts: English temporal clauses and purpose clauses. While these clauses differ in a number of ways, they offer similar insights w.r.t. to what makes an adjunct transparent.