"Which book did you file ___ [without reading ___]?"
Many generative grammarians argue that islands are a result of the of human language.
The second gap is inside an "island," but the first "licit" gap makes the whole sentence feel okay to a native speaker. Islands
"*Who did [a picture of ___] hang on the wall?" (The phrase is the subject). Why Do Islands Exist?
Once a subject moves to its final position, its internal structure is "frozen" and cannot be accessed. "Which book did you file ___ [without reading ___]
Not all subject islands are equally strong. Some violations become acceptable if they are "saved" by a second gap in the sentence, known as a .
Linguists debate whether these "walls" are built into our mental grammar or caused by how we process information. 1. The Architectural View Why Do Islands Exist
Subjects usually provide "old" information (the background). Trying to pull a "new" focus out of a backgrounded subject creates a mental clash.
