control (n.)

A term used in one of the (sub-)theories of GOVERNMENT-BINDING THEORY (control theory), which determines the potential for REFERENCE of the abstract pronominal element PRO. For example, a PRO which is the SUBJECT of an EMBEDDED INFINITIVE CLAUSE is said to be under the ‘control’ of the MAIN-clause subject (its controller), after a VERB like promise; but after a verb like persuade it is controlled by the OBJECT of that verb (it is ‘non-subject controlled’): compare I₁ promised John PRO₁ to go and I persuaded John₂ PRO₂ to go. Still other uses of PRO are uncontrolled (that is, they have ARBITRARY reference, and do not take their reference from an ANTECEDENT NP). Control sentences subsume the EQUI NP DELETION sentences of classical TRANSFORMATIONAL GRAMMAR; they are often contrasted with RAISING sentences. Sometimes, control constructions are referred to as CATENATIVE constructions.