On remnant VP movement and the distribution of negative quantifier ‘no’ in English

Abstract

Starting with negative adjunct prepositional phrases (PPs), we argue that the sentential-negation (SN) status of such PPs is determined not syntactically, but by their construal. Additionally, the SN of such PPs is attributed to the interpretable [NEG] feature in the Neg head that requires to be overtly in Spec-head relation with such PPs, as dictated by the Neg-Criterion (De Clercq, 2010). Noting the ban on such PPs in sentence-final positions with unergatives, we adopt remnant verb phrase (VP) movement to account for it. Verb complements in passives/unaccusatives extract from a VP, which then undergoes remnant movement, inducing prosodic effects on negative adjunct PPs in [Spec, NegP], but nothing moves out of a VP in unergatives, bleeding remnant VP movement. Argumental ‘no’ quantifiers also overtly move of VP, which is then subject to remnant VP movement.