The unbearable lightness of GOing: The projection parameter as a pure parameter governing the distribution of elliptic motion verbs in Germanic

Abstract It is a well-known fact that most of the Germanic languages can use modal verbs with non-verbal complements. In the present paper I will focus on modals with directional PPs such as the German Ich muss nach hause (I must <go> home). There are two ways to analyze such constructions. Either we say that the modal can (also) be used as a main verb, in which case it can have a complete theta-structure, a full-blown subcategorization frame (e.g., Barbiers (1995)), or we say that, among the verbal complements the modal verb can combine with, there is a super-light motion verb [e]GO. Sw... Mehr ...