Subjectcontrol

Subjectcontrol is a term used in linguistics to describe a specific type of control relation between clauses, where the subject of a non-finite embedded clause is understood to be the same as the subject of the main clause. In many analyses, the embedded clause contains a null pronoun PRO in the subject position, and PRO is coindexed with the matrix subject. This means the embedded action or state is attributed to the same agent as the main clause subject.

A typical example in English is: John_i promised [PRO_i to leave]. Here, the subject of the infinitival clause to leave is John, the controller of the PRO. Another common example is: John_i forgot [PRO_i to call Mary]. In this case, the action of calling Mary is understood to be something John was going to do, controlled by John.

Subjectcontrol is contrasted with object control, where the embedded clause’s subject is controlled by the object of the main clause, as in: Mary_j convinced John_i to leave, where the subject of the infinitive is Mary, the object of convince. The distinction is important for theories of syntax and interpretation, including how viewers of sentences assign thematic roles and how PRO is licensed in infinitival clauses.

Across languages, subjectcontrol patterns vary in how they mark or reconstruct the controller, and some languages may show overt markers or alternative strategies for binding the embedded subject. The concept remains central to discussions of non-finite clauses, PRO, and the architecture of argument structure in grammar.