Elements of Control : Structure and Meaning in Infinitival Constructions

This work offers an outlook on the derivation and interpretation of control constructions. From data and observations, it argues that obligatory control comes in two varieties: exhaustive or partial control, the latter obtaining when PRO properly includes the controller.

This work offers an outlook on the derivation and interpretation of control constructions. From data and observations, it argues that obligatory control comes in two varieties: exhaustive or partial control, the latter obtaining when PRO properly includes the controller. This distinction, arguably universal, is tightly linked to the tense specification of the infinitive. Non-obligatory control, on the other hand, is structurally conditioned, obtaining only in VP-external infinitives. A detailed investigation of how control interacts with super-equi constructions and psychological predicates sheds new light on issues such as extraposition, argument structure, and semantic selection. This book clears up some common misconceptions about the nature of control, as well as sharpening the empirical challenges that face any comprehensive theory in this domain. Regardless of theoretical framework, scholars of syntax and semantics interested in these topics, should find this book a major contribution to the field.