The purpose of this study is to show that little v can be the functional head to assign a nominative Case, accepting Yoon’s (1996) perspective. Empirical data show that nominative NPs remain inside vP. Agree-based approaches fall short of explaining some intriguing data such as ECM constructions and Case stacking in Korean and Japanese. From the simplest Minimalist perspective, I justify the current assumption that v can assign nominative Cases, with the following ideas: the EPP feature thought to consist of [Phi] and [Tense] is obsolete, [Tense] and [Phi] exist on different functional heads, and [Tense] resides in vP. Moreover, it is possible to extend the current assumption to account for subject wh-movement concerned to Subject Criterion and Anti-locality.
1. Introduction
2. EPP and Expletive Constructions
3. Nominative Case in vP
4. Implications
5. Conclusions
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