Structure of the INFL in Kana

Abstract

This paper is based on the structure of the INFL in Kana, a language spoken in the Khana, Gokana and Tai Local Government Areas of Rivers State in South-South Nigeria. This paper explores the structures of the INFL in Kana using the Government and Binding theory. The paper makes the point that INFL is either [+ tense] or [- tense] in Kana. The [+ tense] in Kana has an agreement property, while the [- tense] INFL has no agreement property. This goes on to show that [+ tense] INFL has a substantive subject while the [- tense] INFL has no substantive subject. PRO is therefore the subject of the infinitival clause, which is [- tense]. The paper observes that INFL accommodates the tense and agreement properties of the sentence. The data for this paper are drawn from two sources: primary and secondary. In the primary source, some of the data are generated, and others are collected from mature native speakers of the language through personal and informal interaction. The secondary source is based on data collected from the library. This work stands as a useful material for teachers and students of English and Linguistics who wish to study syntax using the modern syntactic approach.