Filler-gap mismatches

[Ivan A. Sag]

Hi Bob and Carl

> Does anyone know of any HPSG work on situations where fill and gap do not
> match up as they should, as (1), which contrasts with (2)?
>
> 1) That he might be wrong, he didn't think of.
> 2) * He didn't think of that he might be wrong.
> >>
>
> I remember such examples being discussed in the early 1980's and
> have a dim recollection that Joan Bresnan had an explanation for them
> (sorry I can't be more specific). Note also:

Joan Bresnan discusses these in her 2000 book:

Lexical Functional Syntax. Blackwell's.

> 5)a. Kim didn't think of the possible nasty consequences, or that
>      he might be wrong.
>
>   b. Kim didn't think of that he might be wrong, or the possible nasty
>      consequences.

> 6)a. Before you do that, please think of the possible consequences
>      and that you might be wrong.
>
>   b. Before you do that,  please think of that you might be wrong
>      and the possible consequences

5b and 6b are *, right? These contrasts are discussed in:

Sag, Ivan A., Gerald Gazdar, Thomas Wasow and Steven Weisler. 1985.
Coordination and How to Distinguish Categories. {\it Natural Language
and Linguistic Theory} 3: 117--171.

> 7) ?Sandy could think of only that he might be wrong, and not of
>    what the actual consequences might be if he were right.

Interesting. Are intervening elements sufficient to make preposition
plus that-clause sequences acceptable?

Ivan

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Ivan A. Sag
Professor of Linguistics
Director: Symbolic Systems Program (2000-2001)

Email: sag at csli.stanford.edu
WWW: http://www-csli.stanford.edu/~sag/sag.html

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