Syntax of Scope (Linguistic Inquiry Monographs) Book

Syntax of Scope takes up the issue of relative operator scope in generative grammar and offers a comparative study of quantifiers and interrogative wh-operators. The authors argue that the interaction of these operators is constrained by two interpretive principles: a Minimum Binding Requirement and a Scope Principle. These principles are shown to provide a unified account for the cross-linguistic similarities and variations in the interaction of operators. The authors present a comprehensive, contrastive study of operators in English and Mandarin Chinese and extend their investigation to Japanese in the last chapter. Joseph Aoun is Professor of Linguistics in the Department of Linguistics and Yen-hui Audrey Li is Associate Professor of Linguistics in the Department of Linguistics and the Department of East Asian Languages and Cultures, both at the University of Southern California.Read More