Corrective focus at the right edge in Spanish

Abstract

The aim of this research is to further our knowledge of the syntax of postverbal subjects and focalization in Romance. Particular attention is paid to corrective focus at the right edge of the sentence in subject control structures without restructuring in Spanish. It is shown that the features of this syntactic context provide a testing ground for competing theories on the syntax of postverbal subjects. Evidence is provided for the view that (i) an overt subject at the right edge in this syntactic context is the subject of the main clause, not the infinitival clause; (ii) to explain the properties of the data a two-step process is needed, where movement of the subject out of the finite TP is followed by remnant movement of that TP past the landing position of the subject (Ordóñez, 2000, a.o.). The result is relevant for our understanding of the mapping between syntax and semantics and the licensing of overt subjects by infinitivals. Furthermore, evidence is provided for the availability of remnant TP movement in the grammar.