User:RockRockOn/A Minimalist Theory of Syntax/Object control

A /VP-shell construction:


 * '' persuaded (him t {to PRO eat the squid) )

Optionality of 2nd "Complement"
If the second "complement" - to eat the squid in the example above - is not optional, then we will analyze the entire construction as a plain transitive.

For example:
 * The committee required him to make revisions

It might seem that we would want to analyze it as
 * *The committee required ( him t {to PRO make revisions} )

However, we can't remove 'to make revisions' without a shift in meaning occurring:
 * *The committee required him

Semantic Role Count?
If there is not extra role assigned by a verb in the second "complement", then we probably aren't dealing with an object control situation:
 * I persuaded (him t {in the wee hours of the morning} )