A derivational ellipsis approach to ATB-movement

Abstract

This article argues for an ellipsis approach to ATB-movement on the basis of morphosyntactic mismatches and reconstruction asymmetries between conjuncts. I will argue that ATB-moved constituents are present in each conjunct; while those in the first conjunct undergo asymmetric extraction, those in the sec - ond conjunct are elided under identity with those in the first. Ellipsis in ATB is licensed by means of an (E) atb-feature whose selectional restrictions correctly sin- gle out the elements that can undergo ATB-movement. Ellipsis applies deriva- tionally and makes the elided constituents inaccessible for further syntactic o perations. Asymmetric extraction is sanctioned by a representational definition of the Coordinate Structure Constraint: At LF, the asymmetrically extracted oper - ator can bind both its own trace as well as the trace left behind by the operator in the second conjunct. Binding into the second conjunct is only possible if both operators bear the same index; this in turn is guaranteed by the recoverability condition on ellipsis, which requires an identical antecedent. Since the operator can bind both variables, the single-identity reading characteristic of ATB is cor -