Minimalist Machine Derivations

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Examples:

  • Examples from A New Approach to Tough-Constructions (Fong & Ginsburg, 2014).
    Doubling Constituent (DC) approach.
    Example Instruction stream (clickable) Notes
    (1) John is easy to please [john, d, pro, please, 'v*', ['PRO', d0], 'Tinf', c, easy, v_be, 'T', c] Doubling Constituent (DC) pro-John.
    At the Local Extent (LE) boundary, the embedded CP, John (with unvalued uCase) is re-stacked.
    T picks up TOS John.
    (2) The violin is easy to play the sonata on [violin, the, pro, on, [sonata, the], play, 'v*', ['PRO', d0], 'Tinf', c, easy, v_be, 'T', c] DC pro-the-violin.
    At the LE boundary, the embedded CP, the violin (with unvalued uCase) is re-stacked.
    Matrix T picks up TOS the violin.
    (3) *What sonata is the violin easy to play on? [violin, the, pro, on, [sonata, what:d], play, 'v*', ['PRO', d0], 'Tinf', c, easy, v_be, 'T', c_Q] Does not converge.
    DC pro-the-violin.
    what sonata is stacked (uScope).
    At the LE boundary, the embedded CP, what sonata (unvalued uScope) and the violin (unvalued uCase) are re-stacked.
    Matrix T fails to agree with TOS what sonata: nom Case clashes with acc Case assigned by embedded v*.
    (4) The sonata is easy to play on this violin [violin, this, on, [sonata, the, pro], play, 'v*', ['PRO', d0], 'Tinf', c, easy, v_be, 'T', c] DC pro-the-sonata.
    At the LE boundary, the embedded CP, the sonata (unvalued uCase) is restacked.
    Matrix T picks up TOS the sonata.
    (5) What violin is the sonata easy to play on? [violin, what:d, on, [sonata, the, pro], play, 'v*', ['PRO', d0], 'Tinf', c, easy, v_be, 'T', c_Q] DC pro-the-sonata.
    what violin is stacked (uScope).
    At the LE boundary, the embedded CP, the sonata (unvalued uCase) and what violin (unvalued uScope) are restacked.
    Matrix T picks up TOS the sonata.
    cQ finds iWh what violin.
    (6) Linguists are tough to please [linguists, d, pro, please, 'v*', ['PRO', d0], 'Tinf', c, tough, v_be, 'T', c] (Same as (1).)
    DC pro-linguists.
    At the LE boundary, the embedded CP, linguists (with unvalued uCase) is re-stacked.
    T picks up TOS linguists.
    (7) It is tough to please linguists [linguists, d, please,'v*', ['PRO', d0], 'Tinf', c, tough, v_be, it, 'T', c] v* assigns Case to linguists.
    (No restacking is done at the LE boundary, the embedded CP.)
    Expletive it merge to the edge of vbe.
    Agree(matrix T,it) obtains.
    (8) The book is easy to put on the table [table, the, on, [book, the, pro], put, 'v*', ['PRO', d0], 'Tinf', c, easy, 'v_be', 'T', c] (Same as (4).)
    DC pro-the-book.
    At the LE boundary, the embedded CP, the book (unvalued uCase) is restacked.
    Matrix T picks up TOS the book.
    (9) What table is the book easy to put on? [table, what:d, on, [book, the, pro], put, 'v*', ['PRO', d0], 'Tinf', c, easy, 'v_be', 'T', c_Q] (Same as (5).)
    what table is stacked (uScope).
    DC pro-the-book.
    At the LE boundary, the embedded CP, the book (unvalued uCase) and what table (unvalued uScope) are restacked.
    Matrix T picks up TOS the book.
    cQ finds iWh what table.