Basic English Syntax with Exercises

Suggested Answers for Check Questions

According to one the motivation behind I-to-C movement is that in interrogative clauses there is a non-overt bound morpheme occupying the C head position and movement of the element in I is necessary to support that bound morpheme. According to the other set of assumptions, I-to-C movement is triggered by the C head position being empty and the requirement that it be filled. The element in I moves to satisfy that requirement. It is assumed that a main clause interrogative, where I-to-C movement occurs, cannot contain an overt complementizer (as opposed to embedded interrogatives). But the clause has to be marked as interrogative, thus the auxiliary moves to the empty head position, thereby providing a head the wh-element in [Spec, CP] position can agree with.