YES/NO.

QUESTIONS

As we have seen the verb projects its features to TP, but the structure of the clause is larger and
we have another layer called CP = COMPLEMENTIZER.

Complementizer = is an introductory element (that)

VEDERE SCHEMA yes/no question su foglio

The CP is not present jsut in subordinate clauses, it is also present in main clauses and gives us
CLAUSE TYPE (it tells us if it is an ORDER, QUESTION, STATEMENT).

Let’s take a simple sentence, like Mary saw John

CF foglio

What is a question? A QUESTION asks if what is above the TP (all the layer dominating TP) is true
or NOT.

Did mary see john?

The C(+wh feature) triggers T movement. C+ T is realized in C giving this effect of inversion
between auxiliary and subject.

The inversion aux-subj. of traditional grammar is actually just the MOVEMENT of T to C, because
the subject stay there.

The same aux-subj. inversion is mostly found in the majority of DIRECT WH-questions.

Cf schema

THERE is ONE CASE when in English we don’t have T-MOVEMENT- It is the case when MARY(the
subject) is substituted by the wh-element

CP-TP are merged together

TO SUMO UP

We have sub-aux inversion = C trigger T movement when the sentence is a YES/NO question, so
when the whole TP is new and we are asking whether the whole TP is +/- true.