Reduced Relatives and Extended Phases: A Phase‐Based Analysis of the Inflectional Restrictions on English Reduced Relative Clauses

Abstract

Abstract This article aims to provide an analysis for a curious fact about reduced relative clauses in Standard English: while full relative clauses permit all forms of inflection, reduced relative clauses are restricted to passive and progressive inflections. This puzzle is explained by claiming that, while full relative clauses are comprised of both phases of the clausal spine, reduced relative clauses are comprised solely of the clause‐internal phase. Following the claim that the clause‐internal phase in English in fact extends as far as the progressive aspectual layer (Harwood , ; Wurmbrand , ; Ramchand & Svenonius ; Aelbrecht & Harwood ) this fully accounts for the inflectional restrictions on reduced relative clauses in Standard English.

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