Syntax B	Winter 2009
Problem 5	Argument/Adjunct Asymmetries
Due Tuesday February 24

0.  First read On WH Movement, pp. 97-99.

1.  State and discuss your assumptions about the structures and derivations
of infinitival questions and infinitival relative clauses.  You can draw on
Problem 20 for relevant hints and examples.

2.  Notice this:

(1)   Who do you think Harvey talked to?
(2)   Who don't you think Harvey talked to?

(3)   Why do you think Harvey talked to Sue?
(4)   Why don't you think Harvey talked to Sue?

Notice that (3) is ambiguous, with 'why' originating in the upper or lower
clause; but (4) is unambiguous: 'why' can only originate in the upper clause.

The clause embedded under negation in (2) and (4) is called an "inner island"
(term due to Ross (1983): "Inner Islands", BLS 10).  It's a "weak" island,
because it doesn't block Wh-movement in (2).  The first task of this
assignment will be to try to figure out what the difference is between
(2) and (4).

Another weak island is the infinitival WH-question clause introduced by
'whether':

(5)   What are you wondering whether to fix?

Notice that this is better than

(6)  *What are you wondering whether Harvey fixed?

(I wonder why.)

(7)   When are you wondering whether to fix the sink?

Comparing (5) and (7), notice that the WH-phrase 'when' in (7) cannot be
interpreted as originating in the embedded clause.

Consider also

(8)   What do you know how to fix?
(9)   How do you know what to fix?
(10)  How do you know whether to fix the sink?
(11)  What don't you know how to fix?
(12) *How don't you know what to fix?

Now, formulate a hypothesis (a constraint, a generalization, whatever)
about what can move out of a weak island and what cannot.

3.  Then test your hypothesis every way you can.

4.  Big bonus points for finding any other weak islands.