On the position of ECM subjects : a case study from Japanese

Abstract

On the basis of new empirical data from Japanese, this paper argues that in the ECM construction where CP is projected in the embedded clause, the embedded subject undergoes A-movement to Spec of embedded CP, but not to the matrix object position. ECM subjects are argued to appear in a position sufficiently high to be Case-licensed by the matrix predicate, so that the Case feature of the ECM subject residing in the embedded CP is valued as accusative by the matrix verb. It is further suggested that A-movement of ECM subjects into the embedded CP is motivated by the C head retaining its EPP feature without feature inheritance from C to T.

Keywords

• exceptional case marking
• complementizer
• A-movement
• Japanese