This is a project in syntactic theory, the branch of linguistics which studies the properties of grammatical systems, and aims to construct a forrnal model of grammar which is common to and accurate for all natural languages. The focus of this particular project is on a class of constraints on syntactic rules, a set of conditions which limit the contexts in which certain rules may apply. On the basis of the relevant literature and their own prior research, the investigators have developed a hypothesis which relates a constraint on the applicability of certain "extraction" rules, i.e. grammatical rules which move a constituent from one part of a sentence structure to another, to patterns of constituent structure in the locus from which the constituent is to be extracted. The structures which block an extraction are called "selective islands". The blockage is illustrated by pairs of example sentences like: Who was Bill sorry they hired? *Who was Bill sorry hired them? The first sentence is ordinary; the second one clearly has something wrong with it (which is indicated by the asterisk preceding it). These principles apply across a wide variety of grammatical constructions, which indicates that they have a role in the basic theory of grammar. The project will explore and elucidate that role. Preliminary investigations suggest that the principles to be studied may have an impact on some major issues in syntactic theory. At the conclusion of the project, the investigators will prepare a monograph describing their findings.
