The Feature Checking of T in English Clause

This paper explores the properties of the functional category T and the feature checking of T in English clauses, especially ordinary finite clauses and to-infinitive clauses. The traditional assumption is that T in English is specified as either [+tense, +agr] or [-tense, -agr], and the EPP feature has been dealt with as a separate issue. However, I propose that there is [+tense, -agr] in English as well as [+tense, +agr] and [-tense, -agr]. Moreover, capturing the close relation between the EPP feature and [+tense], I propose that [+tense] has an ancillary EPP feature to be checked, i.e., [+tense]EPP T requires a subject-like element in its specifier position. In Chomsky s(1998, 1999, 2001) framework, when agreement occurs between [+agr] T and NP with an ancillary Case, the Case of NP is checked in the course of derivation. In a parallel way, [+tense] has an ancillary EPP as in [+tense]EPP. In this paper, T in English is specified as [+tenseEPP, +agr], [+tenseEPP, -agr], and [-tense, -agr]. No other stipulation is needed and this explains the syntactic phenomena such as υP ellipsis and υP preposing.