The Dutch it-cleft Constructions

Leonoor van der Beek

Abstract

Proceedings of LFG03; CSLI Publications On-line

In this paper I argue that the Dutch it-cleft is in fact two constructions: one with the transitive copula and a nominal focus and the other with the intransitive copula and a non-nominal focus. The analysis of transitive clefts as copular sentences with a discontinuous topic accounts for the puzzling agreement without violating the generally assumed word order rules nor subject verb agreement.