Introduction

Abstract

AbstractThe present monograph proposes a novel approach to the selection of embedded subjunctives. Our research emerges from several observations which led us to question the accuracy of some of the accounts available on the market. In addition, it intends to bridge the gap between semantic and syntactic accounts on the one hand, and main clause and embedded clause manifestations of subjunctive on the other hand. Our approach is an attempt at looking both at the small and the big picture of embedded subjunctive. The chapter presents the main research question, namely: Do languages have a common, principled process of subjunctive selection, and if yes, (i) what triggers it? (ii) how does it proceed? (iii) how local is it? It also introduces some caveats and gives an outline of the following chapters.