A nominal-shell for CPs: Beyond subject CPs

In this paper, I provide a syntactic argument that there is a nominal-shell subcategorizing CPs, following Davies and Dubinsky (1998). I discuss the analysis and problems of treating subject CPs as topic phrases (Koster 1978, Adger 2002, and Alrenga 2005) and show how the nominal-shell analysis of CPs can solve those problems, and give some cross-linguistic data in support of the nominal-shell for CPs. Some conceivable problems of the nominal-shell analysis are addressed using the Internal S Condition (Ross 1967). CPs that can be selected by a preposition are also examined, and the CRP is attributed to a language-specific selectional restriction. Object CPs with a nominal-shell are also examined.