Tensed-S condition

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The Tensed-S condition (where S stands for "Sentence") is a condition proposed in

transformational rules
cannot apply across clause boundaries. The condition is formalised as follows:

Tensed-S condition (TSC) "No rule can involve X, Y in the structure ... X ... [α... Y ...] ... where α is a tensed sentence." (Chomsky 1973: 238)

The rule accounts for such phenomena as the lack of passivization (a process which turns an active voice sentence into a passive voice one) in sentence (2) below:

(1) The footballers are believed [to be talented]

(2) *The footballers are believed [are talented]

Based on the assumption that "The footballers" originates inside the square brackets in both sentences (as the

thematic subject of the predicate "be talented"), the TSC prohibits its raising (via A-movement
) out of the finite clause in (2), but not the non-finite clause in (1).

The TSC (along with the

ECM verb
structure) below, but is blocked from applying by the TSC in sentences (5) and (6) – where there are clause boundaries – thereby allowing the pronoun to refer back to the antecedent.

(3) *Johni likes himi

(4) *Johni believes himi to like Mary

(5) Johni said that Mary likes himi

(6) Johni said that hei likes Mary

The way the TSC accounted for binding as well as movement phenomena (such as the passivization examples above), was influential for much subsequent research which tried to reduce binding and movement to the same set of principles (see Kayne (2002) for a recent implementation). The subsequent binding conditions A and B of Chomsky (1981) essentially replaced the TSC (as well as the SSC), and it is no longer a part of the toolkit of current researchers.

References

  • Chomsky, Noam (1973). "Conditions on Transformations". In Stephen R. Anderson; Paul Kiparsky (eds.). A Festschrift for Morris Halle. New York: Holt, Rinehart and Winston. pp. 232–285. ASIN B000OA5W2M.
  • Chomsky, Noam (1981). Lectures on Government and Binding. Dordrecht: Foris.
    ISBN 3110141310
    .
  • Kayne, Richard (2002). "Pronouns and the Antecedents". In Samuel D. Epstein; T. Daniel Seely (eds.). Derivation and Explanation in the
    ISBN 0631227334
    .
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