Relativized Minimality

This monograph presents an important extension of government-binding theory in syntax. This monograph presents an important extension of government-binding theory in syntax. It offers a new characterization of locality in the theory of government through a relativization of the Minimality Principle and it explores the consequences of this approach for the Empty Category Principle and the analysis of a variety of empirical domains including intervention effects That-trace phenomena and argument/adjunct asymmetries. The final part of the book is devoted to a new interpretation of the argument/adjunct asymmetries that arise in various extraction processes. Referential indices a fundamental ingredient of the binding relation are restricted to occur on referential arguments as in Chomsky''s original proposal. This natural restriction has the surprising effect of capturing the major argument-adjunct asymmetries in a straightforward manner while permitting a radical simplification of the Empty Category Principle.