Long-distance extraction attraction: A production-based account of an unexpected cross-linguistic structure

Abstract

The focus of this paper is a grammatically unexpected long-distance (LD) extraction structure in which the extracted element morphologically articulates with the verb of the clause where it is pronounced rather than with the verb of the extraction clause. The structure manifests itself differently cross-linguistically, depending on the language’s morphosyntax. I suggest that this grammatical possibility evolved in response to the sentence planning challenge posed by LD wh-movement. Specifically, LD movement structures conflict with the incremental clause-by-clause planning production process; the fronted element relates to a clause whose internal structure isn’t planned at the outset. The unexpected structure is seen as a consequence of production pressures playing a role in shaping grammars.