Modeling of problems of projection: A non-countercyclic approach

Abstract

This paper describes a computational implementation of the recent Problems of Projection (POP) approach to the study of language (Chomsky 2013; 2015). While adopting the basic proposals of POP, notably with respect to how labeling occurs, we a) attempt to formalize the basic proposals of POP, and b) develop new proposals that overcome some problems with POP that arise with respect to cyclicity, labeling, and wh-movement operations. We show how this approach accounts for simple declarative sentences, ECM constructions, and constructions that involve long-distance movement of a wh-phrase (including the that-trace effect). We implemented these proposals with a computer model that automatically constructs step-by-step derivations of target sentences, thus making it possible to verify that these proposals work.