Kim, Doug-seok. 1996. Island Constraints on Attract-F. Studies in Modern Grammatical Theories 8: 129-151. Chomsky`s(1995) definition of Attract-F comprises the effects of the MLC and Last Resort. However, the CED, which is not reducible to the Shortest Movement Condition, is not incorporated in the definition. As a result, Attract-F itself cannot block illegitimate extractions out of islands such as subject, adjunct; and complex NP. To include the island constraints in the definition of Attract-F this paper captures the common properties of the islands in terms of c-command relation between a head and the category contained in the projection of the head, and proposes a revised definition of Attract-F: K attracts F if (i) F is the closest feature that can enter into a checking relation with a sublabel of K, and (ii) these is no X, X a head, such that a projection of X contains a maximal projection YP dominating a category with F and X does not c-command YP. The first part of this definition comprises the effects of the MLC and Last Resort and the second part incorporates the effects of the island constraints.

The purpose of this paper is to show the basic outline of recent Minimalist Theory(particularly focused on Attract-F) suggested by Chomsky (1993, 1995), and to reveal the superiority of the theory to the other previous theories on there-constructions. In Chomsky`s Attract-F approach, feature [D] on there is checked against the strong feature [D] on T, the NP adjjoined to there in LF has its Case feature and φ-feature checked off against those of T, and the object-NP in the embedded infinitive is adjoined to the higher V in LF in order to have its Case and φ-featuers checked off. Partititive case approach is exceptional because the partitive case is assigned through government but all the other morphological feafures are checked through Spec-Head agreement. The analysis where the strength of feature on T is weakened can also be incorporated into the Attract-F approach. The theory where there is considered a defective` NP has been developed into the Attract-F approach. In conclusion, so fas as the Attract-F concerned, it is the most effective theory in the analysis of there-constructions.