The positional tendencies of sentential noun phrases in universal grammar

Abstract

This paper is concerned with sentential subjects and sentential objects, subordinate clauses which function as subject or object of their sentence. The clausethat John is tallis a sentential subject in (1) and a sentential object in (2):(1)That John is tallis obvious.(2)Bill knowsthat John is tall.This paper is concerned in particular with the clause positions in which such sentential subjects and objects, henceforth sentential noun phrases (or NP’s), tend to occur in different languages. In (1), the sentential subject is in clause-initial position. In (2), the sentential object is in clause-final position. More precisely, this paper is concerned with the differences between the position of sentential NP’s and the position of simple NP’s (i.e. nonsentential NP’s). For example, the position of the sentential subject in (1) is also the normal position for simple NP subjects. If we replace the sentential subject in (1) by the simple NPthe conclusion, we get (3):(3) The conclusion is obvious.