A new version of the Matching Analysis of relative clauses Combining deletion under recoverability with vehicle change

Abstract

The biggest analytical challenge posed by relative clauses is arguably the so-called connectivity problem, viz., the double role of the head noun: it is a constituent of the matrix clause but is also related to a position inside the relative clause. In the current syntactic literature on relative clauses, there are three basic derivations that are still entertained to solve the connectivity problem: the Head External Analysis (HEA), the Head Raising Analysis (HRA) and the Matching Analysis (MA):1 (1) a. the booki [CP [DP Opi/whichi]1 John likes __1] HEA b. the [CP [DP book2 Op/which __2]1 John likes __1] HRA c. the booki [CP [DP Op/which booki]1 John likes __1] MA