Scope Economy in Right Node Raising

Abstract

This paper attempts to provide an account for the Scope Economy effect in Right Node Raising (RNR) in English. In general, the pivot in RNR can take scope above both subjects in TP-coordination. However, it is not allowed when the subject in one TP-conjunct is not a scope-taking element, exhibiting the Scope Economy effect in the sense of Fox (2000). Assuming Scope Economy, I suggest that this effect can be best captured by the multidominance analysis: Being multidominated/shared between both conjuncts, QR of the pivot is permitted only if it induces a semantic effect for both conjuncts. This effect, however, constitutes a non-trivial problem for the rightward ATB movement analysis (cf. Sabbagh 2007) since being overt and unbound, the rightward movement would be blind to Scope Economy. As a consequence, RNR is taken as another context where Scope Economy can be detected, due to the fact that the pivot is shared.