This paper explores why the nun-marked nominal occurs as a contrastive topic in the embedded [Spec, CP] or in the sentence-medial position and why it occurs as a plain topic in the matrix [Spec, CP], centering around the tough and likely varieties. I argue that the contrastive topic and plain topic in the tough and likely varieties are more compatible with the stage-level predicate and individual-level predicate respectively. C. Lee (2002) distinguishes a contrastive topic of the stage-level predicate from a non-contrastive topic (i.e., plain topic) of the individual-level predicate in a simple clause. The nun-marked nominal in the sentence-initial position can be interpreted as a plain topic (Bak 1986), irrespective of whether the compatible predicate is an individual-level or stage-level one. If a nun-marked nominal is interpreted as a contrastive topic, it undergoes Chomsky s (2005) peripheral movement to the Spec of a phase under my system.
1. Introduction
2. Tough and Likely Varieties
3. Embedded Subjecthood of the Tough- and Likely-Predicate
4. Individual-Level Predicate vs. Stage-Level Predicate
5. Factors to be Considered in Bi-Clausal Structures
6. Conclusion