Optional Raising in ECM and Labeling of XP-YP

This paper deals with a labeling problem posed by optional raising-to-object in ECM. I claim that XP-YP formed in the ECM complement is labeled by agreement: the composite head <C, T> is created by external pair-merge of T to C and the ECM subject moves to the Spec of <C, T>, which agrees with the ECM subject for under-inheritance of &#981;. It is shown that the proposed analysis can not only solve labeling of XP-YP in ECM; it can also bypass phase impenetrability, allowing the ECM subject to agree with the higher R and to raise out to Spec,RP. As implications of the proposed analysis, I discuss the A/&#256; distinction and Case valuation. I also show that parametric variation with ECM and obligatory exit in raising-to-subject follow from Merge. Through the discussion in this paper, I demonstrate that Merge plays a key role in ECM, endorsing the minimalist hypothesis on language.