Abstract

This paper discusses Ferreira’s (2000, 2004, 2009) claim that selective intervention effects in wh-island constructions in Brazilian Portuguese provide evidence for analyzing its referential null subjects as traces of A-movement. Based on the fact that intervening traces of wh-phrases in [Spec,CP] never prevent A-movement of an embedded subject out of an embedded declarative clause, I argue that a filled [Spec,CP] does not block A-movement either. Reinterpreting Ferreira’s data, I propose instead that A-movement is blocked if there is an intervening [Spec,TopP].KEYWORDS: finite control, hyper-raising, wh-islands, movement theory of control, Brazilian Portuguese.

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