Transforamtional Syntax

11. Binding

(1) Three types of NP: (i) anaphors, (ii) pronominals, (iii) lexical NPs

(i) anaphors: reciprocal anaphor -> John and Mary like each other.

reflexive anaphor -> John cut himself.

(ii) pronominals: two semantic funcitons

John1 thinks he1 is clever.

John1 thinks he2 is clever.

(iii) lexical NPs: overt NPs except for anaphors or pronomials

Nim Chimpsky, Snotty Snodgrass, the man next door, Debbie Harry,...

(2) Indexing Rule: Assign every NP in a sentence an index.

(Any random pair of NPs in a sentence can either be interpreted as

coreferential(anaphor, pronominal) or as noncoreferential(lexical NP).

Matching Condition: If two NPs are assigned the same index, they must ‘match’ in features

(e.g. number, gender, person, etc.) = ‘semantic filter’

(15) a. *John2 hurt himself3

b. *John2 hurt him2

c. *John2 hurt Fred2

(3) Binding Conditions:

(16) (A) An anaphor must be bound in its governing category, if it has one.

(B) A pronominal NP must be free in its governing category if it has one.

(C) A lexical NP must be free everywhere.

To understand (16), the following definitions are needed:

(a), (b), (c) : see p. 367

(d) X is the governing category for Y if X is the minimal NP or S which contains the

constituent which governs Y

(e) X governs Y if X is the minimal potential governor (=V, A, N, P, or Tense)

c-commnading Y, and there is no intervening S-bar or NP barrier between X and Y

(18) S’ governing category

COMP S

-WH NP2 TENSE VP governee

e John2 +past V NP2/3

e hurt himself2/*3

him*2/3

governor Fred*2/3

(23)-(24)

S’ governing category

COMP S

-WH NP2/3 TENSE VP

e *himself2 +past V NP2

he3

governee might hurt John2

governor

governor governee

(27)

S’ governing category

COMP S

-WH NP3 VP

e NP2 N’ V NP2/3/4

the soldiers’ behaviour disgraced them2/*3/4

themselves*2/*3/*4

governor governee

- NP3(the soldiers’ behaviour) c-commnads them/themselves.

- NP2(the soldiers’) does not c-command them(selves), and is not an antecedent for

them(selves), so themselves is free from the soldiers’. Therefore, themselves2 violates

Binding Condition (16A). But them2 obeys BC (16B).

Themselves3 can be c-commanded and governed by NP3 but it does not match in

a semantic feature, number, violating Matching Condition.

Themselves4 violates BC (16A) since it does not have any coindexed antecedent within

its governing category.

- NP them2/4 is free in its governing category because it isn’t c-commanded by NP2

and any other NP. However, them3 is bound by NP3, so it violates BC(16B)