On the Licensing of Argument Conditionals

Constructions where the clause introduced by wenn 'if' can have a double function in that it is an adverbial that provides the protasis of an implication as well as the propositional argument of a matrix predicate (argument conditionals). Unlike, for instance, Pesetsky's (1991) and Hinterwimmer's (2003) approaches which regard the conjunctions if or when as an "instruction" for the adverbial clause to move to an A-bar-position in order to become the restrictor of a quantifier that introduces the implication, this paper suggests that the conditional conjunction wenn encodes two implication types: the classical type: if σ is contingent and true, then τ(σ) and the preference type: if σ is contingent, then τ(σ). Whereas the adverbial function of the wenn-clause is indicated by the conjunction and by its possibility to be a left TP-adjunct, its argument function becomes especially apparent if it is right-adjoined to vP and me-commanded (in terms by Pesetsky) by a sentential proform which is in the canonical complement position, either es, ProPP or pro. Additionally, the paper discusses characteristic properties of the matrix predicates that license argument conditionals. It suggests that the classical implication type is allowed i. by predicates that embed question extensions (merken 'realize', ignorieren 'ignore', sich danach richten 'comply with) or ii. by predicates that do not embed questions but are either potentially factive or cognitent (akzeptieren 'accept', sich darüber freuen 'be glad', sich darauf stützen 'rely on'). The preference type is licensed by predicates that are compatible just with contingent propositions (vorziehen 'prefer').