Jackendoff Specifier Analysis

Specifier is the daughter of the maximal projection XP and sister of the intermediate projection X’. Jackendoff (1977) addressed some issues with the specifier system. He observed that a very small number of lexical items with idiosyncratic properties involved in the specifier system. The second issue with the specifier system, especially with respect to English, is the less possible correlation between semantic regularities with syntactic positions. He discussed the syntax of the NP, AP, and PP specifier system with the assumption that the specifiers play minor role in sentences (S), but it plays significant role in case of NPs, APs, and PPs. He ignored the specifier of S or lowered its value, because in the earlier versions of X-Bar Theory,

He argued that the elements of the NP specifier can play three semantic roles, that are represented by three categories; demonstratives, quantifiers, and numerals. Under the first category, he mentioned three kinds of demonstratives; definite articles- the, this, that, these, those; interrogatives – which and what; indefinite article a and the singular form of some. The category quantifier includes each, every, any, all, no, many, few, much, little, and the other use of some. Finally, under the third class numerals he has mentioned all cardinals and a dozen, a couple, a few, and a little, etc. Moreover, he also put some semantic constraints on the specifiers of

(33) a. How many people
b. How far along the road

The degree phrases also include the comparative phrases with much and more.
Along with the specifiers of adjectives and prepositions, Emonds (1985:18) also discussed that the auxiliaries are specifiers of verb projection. According to him, the specifiers of AP, PP, and VP as mentioned below;
(34) a. SP(A) = Intensifier = very, so, as, more, most, less, least, too, enough, how, somewhat, rather, quite, real, this, that.
b. SP(P) = right, clear, straight.
c. SP(V) = Auxiliary = will, would, can, could, may, might, shall, should, must, ought, need, dare.

2.5. Emergence of functional projections under Government and Binding Theory
Within GB theory, major focuses of the research is to investigate the nature of Infl (inflection) and functional categories in general. Many concentrated efforts have been made to investigate the functional properties involved within the head Infl. The head Infl is considered to be encoded with the inflectional information at D-Structure that consisted of tense/aspect affixes as well as subject affixes or abstract features for