Re: Animate vs Inanimate lexical constraints

From: Greg Lee (greg_at_ling.lll.hawaii.edu)
Date: 09/19/04


Date: 19 Sep 2004 20:41:10 GMT

Padraic Brown <elemtilas.NOSPAM@yahoo.com> wrote:
> On 18 Sep 2004 23:06:19 GMT, Greg Lee <greg@ling.lll.hawaii.edu>
...
> >I think the original example with "wakes"
> >is unacceptable.

> I'll ask you why you think so as well.

I'm not making myself clear. I don't have a reason for thinking
it's unacceptable. That it is unacceptable is a fact. Now, if
you want my theory about about why it's bad, given that it is
in fact bad, I'll guess that "class" is not the head of its
noun phrase -- as someone remarked, it's sort of a determiner --
and so doesn't cause singular agreement.

...

-- 
Greg Lee <greg@ling.lll.hawaii.edu>

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