Journal Article

Corrective and Exhaustive Foci: A Comparison Between Italian and French

Casentini, Marco, Stortini, Tania

2025

Overview

This paper investigates the acceptability of focused Objects with [+corrective, +exhaustive] features in Italian and French, considering the role of syntactic rigidity, Exhaustivity Markers (EMs), and argument structure. We conducted two parallel acceptability judgment experiments (one per language), testing focused Objects in three positions: (i) in situ, (ii) fronted (FF), and (iii) clefted (CC). Each sentence was also presented with and without an explicit EM, and the verb type was controlled across three categories: transitive, unergative, and unaccusative verbs. Results reveal key cross-linguistic differences: (i) FF is the least acceptable strategy in both languages, contradicting the assumption that Italian tolerates FF more than French; (ii) Italian speakers prefer in situ Focus with an explicit EM, whereas French speakers rate in situ and CC Focus equally acceptable, favoring implicit exhaustivity; (iii) verb type does not significantly impact Focus acceptability, except in French, where intervention effects may reduce FF acceptability in transitive/unergative contexts; (iv) CC remains a viable alternative to in situ Focus in French, possibly acting as a repair strategy. These findings suggest that, as far as [+corrective, +exhaustive] Focus is concerned, Italian does not appear to be less syntactically rigid than French.

• Publisher: MDPI AG
• Subject: Acceptability / Analysis / Argument structure / cleft constructions / Comparative analysis / corrective focus / exhaustive focus / exhaustive marker / Experiments / focus fronting / French language / Grammar, Comparative and general / Italian language / Languages / Linguistic research / Semantics / Syntax / syntax rigidity / Verbs