ABSTRACT
The history of the development of syntax has witnessed different approaches to basic clausal architecture. One central aspect of clausal architecture is shown to be deducible from Chomsky's current analysis, following strict minimalist tenets, positing nothing beyond irreducible lexical features, natural interface conditions. Within Chomsky's analysis, the lexical entries for the phase heads inherently contain unvalued phi features. The valuation of a structural case feature is achieved via phi-feature agreement with a phase head under the probe-goal analysis. The phase head complement (PHC)-internal gibberish can be repaired, so that even though a single transferred PHC has internal gibberish, subsequent derivation can nonetheless assemble a complete, multiphasal sentential conceptual-intentional representation in which there is no gibberish whatsoever. Certain aspects of clausal architecture are deducible from independently motivated mechanisms of Chomsky's phase-based analysis. Thus, theta before case is deduced within Chomsky's system with no appeal to syntax-internal ordered levels of representation.
