| Description |
Cross-linguistically, adverbials appear to be subject to strict ordering restrictions based on semantic subclass. For example, frequentative adverbials (often) must precede celerative adverbials (quickly), which must precede degree of perfection adverbials (well); several other classes of adverbials fill in this ordered hierarchy. Approaches to accounting for this phenomenon include applying semantic and/or syntactic methods of analysis. While several competing explanations for the facts of VP-external adverbial distribution have been offered, the distribution facts themselves are not controversial. In contrast to the distribution VP-external adverbials, that of VP-internal adverbials (adverbials within the VP, probably including some preverbal adverbials in English) is not well understood. It seems likely that VP-internal adverbials, like VP-external adverbials, do appear in a set order relative to each other. This thesis examines the semantic subcategories of potentially VP-internal adverbials and takes as its main purpose to verify, based on solicited grammaticality judgments, whether or not such VP-internal adverbials are indeed subject to ordering restrictions similar to those affecting pre-VP adverbial distribution. Grammaticality judgments are also used to try to determine what effects (if any) adverbial length or complexity have on adverbial positional licensing within the VP. Pilot study findings suggest that VP-internal adverbials do demonstrate ordering restrictions based on semantic subcategory, and also that phonological considerations may bear a significant impact on the grammaticality of adverbial positioning within the VP. The implications for future experimental work as well as for the theory of adverbial distribution are discussed. |
