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Article published In: Register Variation and Syntactic Theory
Edited by Diane Massam and Tim Stowell
[Linguistic Variation 17:2] 2017
► pp. 272–291

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Obligatorily null pronouns in the instructional register and beyond

 | University of Toronto
 | University of Toronto
 | University of Toronto
Published online: 26 January 2018
DOI logo with link
https://doi.org/10.1075/lv.15017.mas
Abstract
English is not canonically considered a pro-drop language. Despite this, it does allow null pronouns, although less freely than traditional pro-drop languages like Italian and Japanese. The focus of this paper is the instructional register (characteristic of recipes) where we claim that object pronouns are obligatorily null in English: “Take 3 eggs. Break _ into a bowl.”. We present an analysis of Instructional Register Null Objects that also accounts for obligatorily null pronouns in certain radical pro-drop languages like Niuean. In this language, most pronouns are optionally null, however 3rd person inanimate pronouns are obligatorily null. We argue that the obligatorily null nature of such pronouns (whether register-specific like in English, or general as in Niuean) is a result of their lack of φ-features, which leaves them with only the option of being realized through Neeleman, Ad & Kriszta Szendrői. 2007. Radical pro drop and the morphology of pronouns. Linguistic Inquiry 381. 671–714. Google Scholar logo with link to Google Scholar general Zero Spell-out Rule.
Article outline
  • 1.Introduction
  • 2.Background & research questions
  • 3.Niuean obligatorily null pronouns
  • 4.English IRNO pronouns
  • 5.Previous analyses
  • 6.Conclusion
  • Acknowledgements
  • Notes
  • References
References (49)
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Lochbihler, Bethany, Will Oxford & Nicholas Welch
2021. The person-animacy connection: Evidence from Algonquian and Dene. Canadian Journal of Linguistics/Revue canadienne de linguistique 66:3 ► pp. 431 ff. DOI logo
Paul, Ileana & Diane Massam
2021. Une recette pour des arguments nuls. Arborescences :10 ► pp. 113 ff. DOI logo
PAUL, ILEANA & DIANE MASSAM
2021. Licensing null arguments in recipes across languages. Journal of Linguistics 57:4 ► pp. 815 ff. DOI logo

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