Abstract
It is well known that a cleft whose focal item functions as predicate nominal in theWH/that-clause is often unacceptable, or at least questionable:(I) (a) *It's a genius that he is. (Leech & Svartvik, 1975: 181)(b) *It's a conductor that John is. (Stockwellet al.1977:107)(c) *It's the football coach that John is. (Emonds, 1976:140) In this article I will investigate different types of clefts highlighting predicate nominals. I will point out five different restrictions that may lead to partial or complete unacceptability and develop a theory that can account for them.
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