Abstract
English-speaking children are known to omit subjects. Parametric analyses of the phenomenon have the advantage to give a simple answer to why children omit subjects and how they reach an adult grammar: the problem is reduced to a matter of parameter misseting and resetting. However, early parametric analyses of missing subjects were challenged by empirical findings. In this paper, I present a parametric analysis of null subjects in finite clauses. In this analysis, three parameters interact to explain the pattern of subject omission in adult and child language.
Highlights
I discuss the phenomenon of missing subjects in English-speaking children, arguing that no parametric analysis can capture the pattern of subject omission in early child language
The authors argue that missing subjects in child language is not an analogous phenomenon to subject ellipsis in spoken adult language
Rizzi (2005, p. 21) suggests that truncation options are made available by UG (Universal Grammar) and they result from a parametric option. He further suggests that missing subjects in English and other non-nullsubject languages result from a missetting of the ‘Root Subject Drop’ parameter
Summary
I discuss the phenomenon of missing subjects in English-speaking children, arguing that no parametric analysis can capture the pattern of subject omission in early child language. The fact that children’s missing subjects are restricted to root contexts instigated proposals which analyze these elements as analogous to subject ellipsis in ‘diary drop’ contexts (Rizzi, 1994; Bromberg & Wexler, 1995). The authors argue that missing subjects in child language is not an analogous phenomenon to subject ellipsis in spoken adult language This is so because while ‘diary drop’ in adult language is characterized by omission of articles, copula and auxiliaries in root contexts, children omit articles, copula and auxiliaries in every position in the sentence.
Sign-in/Register to view highlights & summary Sign-in/Register to access full text options 
Free) 
Talk to us
Join us for a 30 min session where you can share your feedback and ask us any queries you have
Schedule a call
