Syntax 1 Wiki: Week 6

Raising and Control

Raising

• There is a special verb class called subject raising verbs.
• These verbs are easy to identify by applying the following tests.
• If the verb passes theses tests, then it is a subject raising verbs.
• Usually, if the verb passes one of these tests, then it passes all of them.

Subject raising verb Test Nr. 1

If the verb V takes a non-finite VP-complement headed by the verb rain, then V must take the idiomatic word it as its subject.

Illustration:

(1)
a. It_idiom rained.
b. It_idiom will rain.

(2)
a. * The student rained.
b. * The student will rain.

The student

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