Representation in Modern Transformational Syntax

The general issue of derivational vs. representational approaches to syntax has received considerable attention throughout the history of generative grammar. Internal to the major derivational approach, transformational grammar, a related issue arises: are well-formedness conditions imposed specifically at the particular levels of representation made available in the theory, or are they imposed “internal” to the derivation leading to those levels? This second question will be the topic of this chapter. Like the first question, it is a subtle one, perhaps even more subtle than the first, but since Chomsky (1973), there has been increasing investigation of it, and important argument and evidence have been brought to bear. I will be examining a range of arguments, some old and some new, concerning (i) locality constraints on movement, and (ii) the property forcing (overt) movement, especially as this issue arises within the “minimalist” program of Chomsky (1995b).