SUBJECT ELLIPSIS IN EARLY CHILD LANGUAGE

Abstract

This paper aims to discuss whether parametric analyses can account for missing subjects in child English. I review previous parametric analyses of missing subjects and present a new learning model built upon a more recent version of the Null Subject Parameter (Holmberg, 2010a). Parametric analyses of the phenomenon have the advantage of giving a simple answer to why children omit subjects and how they reach an adult grammar: the problem is reduced to a matter of parameter missetting and resetting. However, early parametric analyses of missing subjects (Hyams, 1986, 1991) were challenged by empirical findings (Valian, 1991; Wang et al., 1992). The pattern of subject omission in child English also cannot be explained by the new parametric learning model presented in this article. I conclude that missing subjects in English are best analyzed as subject ellipsis (i.e., ‘diary drop’), an option available for English-speaking adults.

Keywords
Missing Subjects; Non-Null-Subject Languages; Parameters; Subject Ellipsis; ‘Diary Drop’