Phase theory, case and relative clauses

Abstract

The goal of this paper is to put forward an analysis of relative clauses which builds on Pesetsky & Torrego's (2001) proposal concerning the C-T connection and the nature of Case. In so doing, a unitary answer to two long-standing puzzles of the relative clause realm will be provided: the absence of both that-deletion and overt relative pronouns (unless introduced by a preposition) in Romance languages.