ErgSemantics_ControlRelations

ESD Test Suite Examples

TBD: No test suite examples for lexical items yet.

Linguistic Characterization

‘Control’ refers to a class of predicates that take at least one individual type argument and at least one clausal argument and furthermore have the property that the individual is also an argument of the predicate inside the clausal argument. This phenomenon lexically-specific, that is, it is mediated by a class of lexical items that, in the composition, build the link between the individual and the embedded clause. The class of lexical items has many sub-classes, characterized by part of speech (verbs and adjectives) and argument structure patterns. While most of the argument structure variation is only syntactic (e.g., PP v. NP complements; base form VP complements v. to-marked VP complement v. progressive VP complements), there is still some variation at the semantic level. Control is distinguished from other configurations in which the same individual appears as the argument of multiple predicates by the relationship between the predicates themselves.

TODO: Citations (Chomsky 1965, Rosenbaum 1967, Sag and Pollard 1991, H&P?, Ross?)

Motivating Examples

Shared argument is subject/ARG1 of matrix clause:

• Kim tried to leave.

• Kim refrained from laughing.

• Kim will try and find it. ;; Note that this use of ‘and’ is treated as semantically empty.

Shared argument is non-subject of matrix clause:

• Kim invited Sandy to stay.

• Kim imagined Sandy taller.

Control adjectives:

• Kim is anxious to leave. ;; Shared argument is ARG1

• It is easy for Kim to leave. ;; Shared argument is ARG2, clausal argument is ARG1

MRS Fingerprints

Because the shared argument and clausal argument can each fill different argument positions of the control predicate, and similarly the shared argument can have different roles in the embedded clause, if the fingerprints had to specify precise argument roles (ARGn), we would have many different sub-phenomena here. Instead, we make use of underspecified argument positions (see ErgSemantics/Conventions).

_(ARG0:e1,ARG1+:x2,ARG1+:h3)
h4:_(ARG0:e5,ARG1+:x2)

{ h3 =q h4 }

Interactions

• v_np-vpslnp_oeq_le is a lexical type that does both control and lexical binding of a long-distance dependency (akin to tough-adjectives).

  • I have boxes to get rid of.

Reflections

Open Questions

• Are there any three-place adjectives where the clausal argument is ARG3 and the shared argument is ARG2?
• Are there any two-place verbs where the clausal argument is ARG1 and the shared argument is ARG2?
• Controlled ARG4?
  • A team member tried to be traded to the Giants for a pitcher.

Grammar Version

• 1212

More Information

• ErgSemantics main page

• Inventory of semantic phenomena (to be) documented

• How to cite this work