Locative Inversion and Information Coherence

Abstract

Yunhui Kim and Jeong-Seok Kim. 2016. Locative Inversion and Information Coherence. Korean Journal of English Language and Linguistics 16-2, 245-264. This paper explores Locative Inversion (LI) in English. Following Kim (1998, 2000), we argue that the inverted locative PP is in fact an NP with a null head N. Consequently, we confirm Chomsky’s (1995) suggestion that it is only the nominal feature that enters into a checking relation with the EPP requirement of T. LI involves the special alignment of semantic properties with syntactic positions driven by information structure. It allows the presentation of relatively familiar information before comparatively unfamiliar information. In a minimalist framework, we propose that syntax may manipulate discourse-related features like [+topic] and [+focus] via uninterpretable versions of these on functional heads, Top and Foc. The proposal will be extended to the analysis of the cleft construction involving LI.