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 and 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.