Basic English Syntax with Exercises

arbitrary reference

8.2.2 Control

In other contexts, however PRO can lack an antecedent altogether. In these cases, it gets what is called arbitrary reference, a kind of generic reference similar to that of the pronoun one:

8.2.2 Control

While this is similar to the behaviour of a pronominal, it is not entirely equivalent. For one thing when a pronominal has no antecedent it still has a specific referent determined by the discourse conditions (i.e. who or what is the topic of the conversation or who or what is being indicated as the referent in non-linguistic ways such as pointing, etc.). Moreover, pronominals are free to lack antecedents in general whereas PRO can only lack an antecedent under specific circumstances. Basically, PRO can lack an antecedent, and therefore have arbitrary reference when the sentence that PRO is the subject of is itself a subject or when it is the complement of certain predicates:

8.2.2 Control

However, even describing the conditions under which PRO may have arbitrary reference is a complex business, let alone explaining why the language works like this. Thus we will not delve too deeply into this issue. One point of interest is the fact that in those instances where PRO may have arbitrary reference it seems that it has more referential freedom in general in that it is possible for it to have an antecedent, and therefore a more specific reference, and this antecedent may be in positions which are not normally accessible for pronouns to take their reference from. For example, consider the following: