Condition C effects in VP fronting constructions and the mode of semantic composition

Abstract

The paper studies Condition C effects in VP fronting constructions. The author explores new as well as known data that cannot be accounted for by current theories of reconstruction. He explores the mode of semantic composition by which the fronted verb composes with its sister in cases where Condition C effects are triggered and obviated. The author proposes that Condition C effects are triggered if a potential trigger inside a fronted VP is argument to a predicate that describes a situation that is identical to or co-varies with the Austinian topic situation described by the assertive content of the whole sentence.