The book explores Adjunct Control in Assamese an Indo-Aryan language spoken in North India by
about 15 million people. The author works within the Minimalist Program of syntactic theory.
Adjunct Control is a relation of co-referentiality between two subjects one in the matrix
clause and one in the adjunct clause of the same structure. The relevant adjuncts in Assamese
are non-finite clauses commonly known as Conjunctive Participle (CNP) clauses. Four types of
Adjunct Control are examined: (i) Forward Control in which only the matrix subject is
pronounced (ii) Backward Control in which only the subordinate subject is pronounced (iii)
Copy Control in which both subjects are pronounced and (iv) Expletive Control in which case
the two control elements are expletives. While Forward Control is a cross-linguistically common
control pattern Assamese also allows the other three less common structures. The author
analyzes Adjunct Control as movement and provides a detailed account of the conditions that
drive and constrain each of the four types of control. The theoretical implications are
highlighted. The book is unique both empirically and theoretically. It is the first monograph
which deals with Assamese generative syntax. It is also the first book to explore control
structures in a single understudied language in such detail. In addition to Assamese the book
provides data from Telugu Bengali Konkani Marathi Tamil and Hindi.
