영어 전치사 좌초현상에 관한 기능적 분석

Abstract

The purpose of this study is to investigate preposition stranding in English, comparing syntactic analyses with functional ones. It is shown that the functional approach is more appropriate than the syntactic one. Hornstein and Weinberg(1981) claim that preposition stranding, whether it is produced by WH-movement or NP-movement, can be accounted for by using a filter preventing an empty category from receiving an oblique case together with the concept of reanalysis. But their analysis does not seem to be satisfactory because there remain a lot of examples that cannot be explained within their analysis. Kayne(1981) argues that a revised version of Chomsky's(1981) ECP(=Empty Category Principle) is sufficient to account for preposition stranding. However, his analysis cannot account for the asymmetry between the two types of preposition stranding. Consequently, no syntactic analyses can be satisfactory. Therefore this paper points out that the problem of preposition stranding cannot be adequately accounted for in syntactic terms, and presents an alternative functional explanation in terms of the concept of 'more/less important information'.