Universal 665:
- Original
- Yes-no question inversion implies a resultant VSO order.
In periphrastic constructions the finite auxiliary always occupies the V slot of the inverted constituent order and precedes the main or non-finite verb.
- Standardized
- IF there is inversion of subject and verb in yes-no questions, THEN the resulting order is VSO (and the basic order will therefore be SVO).
- Keywords
- order, interrogative sentence, yes-no question, subject-verb inversion, periphrastic construction, auxiliary, finite verb
- Domain
- syntax
- Type
- implication
- Status
- achronic
- Quality
- absolute
- Basis
- 79 languages surveyed in Ultan 1978c
- Source
- Ultan 1978c: 231
- Counterexamples
First part follows from #667.