An Experimental Investigation into Voice Mismatches in Pseudogapping: Insights from Acceptability Judgments and Processing

Abstract

This paper investigates the acceptability and processing of the pseudogapping construction, focusing on the puzzle of voice mismatch between the antecedent and elliptical clauses (e.g., My problem will be looked into by Tom, but he won’t yours.). While syntactic accounts predict ungrammaticality for such mismatches, semantic accounts suggest that they should be acceptable. Through two acceptability judgment experiments and a self-paced reading experiment, we examine how these mismatches interact with factors that are known to influence ellipsis: information structure and the syntactic complexity of the antecedent. Results of the acceptability judgment experiments indicate that voice mismatch consistently lowers acceptability, with its impact varying by interaction with information structure and antecedent complexity. The self-paced reading experiment further shows that voice mismatch leads to longer reading times both at and before the ellipsis site. In addition, information structure and antecedent complexity independently influence processing, with the latter also modulating the effects of voice mismatch. These findings suggest that pseudogapping is not entirely resistant to syntactic mismatches; however, its judgment and processing are shaped by factors beyond syntactic identity.