In this paper, after reviewing Li’s (2014) analysis of null arguments in Mandarin Chinese, I will propose an alternative analysis on the subject/object asymmetry of null arguments. I will claim that null objects are the so-called “argument ellipsis”, whereas null subjects are not empty pronouns but traces of empty operators (Browning (1987), Hou and Kitagawa (1987)). The proposed analysis attributes the restricted property of null subjects to constraints on movement of empty operators to specifier of CP.
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