Re: Disambiguation of arg ument reference

Jakle X wrote:
>
>> >sitting on?"   (The parenthetical phrases are optional.)   However, you
>> >can't
>> >say, *"I put the book (on the table)", or *"What are you putting
>>on?"--if
>> >you
>> >said the latter, it could only refer to clothing (or music).   So they
>> >are
>> >core arguments, even though it can vary (e.g., "on x", "over there",
>>"right
>> >here", etc.).
>>
>>Something doesn't seem right here. You can't say *"What are you putting
>>on?"
>>because you're leaving out an entire argument - the object placed. It is
>>perfectly all right to say "What are you putting the book on?" The place
>>argument, being core, cannot be dropped, but it can be questioned,
>>dangling
>>preposition and all, just like any other argument.
>The reason you can't say *"What are you putting on?" is because a question
>asks for one specific datum, while you seem to be asking for two. You would
>either ask, "On what are you putting the book?" asking for the table, or
>"What are you putting on the table?" asking for the book. You cannot ask
>for
>both. That would sound something like *"What are you putting on the what?"
>invalid for obvious reasons.
Please tell me what those obvious reasons are. I'm afraid I've used such
constructions more than once, and nobody's ever complained 'bout it.

                                                Andreas

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