Two Types of So - Inversion : So similar but quite different July 28 , 2010

The English so-inversion construction places the expression so in the pre-auxiliary position followed by the subject. In the traditional analysis, the auxiliary preceding the subject has been taken to undergo the I-to-C movement. However, complication arises with the possibility of having a cluster of auxiliary verbs in the C position or leaving a VP (or remnants) after the subject. In this paper, we claim that there are in fact two different types of so-inversion, which behave alike in many respects but are quite different. We show that these two types, called as SAI so-inversion and Focus so-inversion, respectively, are licensed due to the possible mapping relations between form and function. 1 Basic Properties One intriguing use of the expression so concerns the so-called so-inversion, as exemplified in (1): 1 1 The expression so has a variety way of uses: (i) a. There was a bus strike on, [so] we had to go by taxi. b. This may make the task seem easier and [so] increase self-confidence. c. A: Are you putting the price up? B: I am afraid [so]. d. A: Jill has misspelt our name. B: [So] she has! e. They were very happy at that time, or at least they seemed [so]. f. The ark module is [so] named in keeping with their interests. g. We usually cut up her spaghetti [so] that she can eat it with a spoon. h. As infections increased in women, [so] did infections in their babies. In (a), it functions as coordinator whereas in (b) it is just an adverbial element. In the examples in (c) – (e), so is used as an anaphoric element whose antecedent is a S, VP,