Comparative syntax and english *IS TO*

Abstract

A central aspect of comparative syntax calls for discovering generalizations over crosslinguistic differences and similarities, and then trying to understand, in general UG terms or beyond, why a given cross-linguistic correlation should hold in the first place. The primary importance of this type of comparative syntax work lies in the fact that it provides us with new kinds of evidence bearing on questions concerning the general character of the language faculty. Figuring out what cross-linguistic generalizations hold and why exactly they hold will invariably help us to narrow down the set of hypotheses that we entertain about the language faculty. In this paper, I will be interested in English is to (as in You are to return by midnight), when is to is studied from a (Romance and Germanic) comparative syntax perspective.

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