Subject ellipsis in early child English

Karina Bertolino

doi:10.5007/2175-8026.2020v73n3p81

Authors

Karina Bertolino University of Connecticut https://orcid.org/0000-0001-5089-4688

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.5007/2175-8026.2020v73n3p81

Abstract

English-speaking children are known to omit subjects. Parametric analyses of the phenomenon have the advantage to give a simple answer to why children omit subjects and how they reach an adult grammar: the problem is reduced to a matter of parameter misseting and resetting. However, early parametric analyses of missing subjects were challenged by empirical findings. In this paper, I present a parametric analysis of null subjects in finite clauses. In this analysis, three parameters interact to explain the pattern of subject omission in adult and child language.

Author Biography

Karina Bertolino, University of Connecticut

Department of Linguistics

Ph.D. Candidate

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