Abstract
This study is primarily concerned with the syntactic properties of thematic relations. I assume within a minimalist framework that the θ-features of a predicate and its argument are satisfied under the checking relation which under the standard assumptions derives a one-to-one correspondence between an argument and a θ-role. By refining the definition of the syntactic cycle, however, the domain of derivational c-command can be made loose enough to allow for a one-to-many relation between an argument and its θ-roles observable under restricted circumstances. At the same time, the resulting analysis is rigid enough to offer an account of asymmetric c-command relations between stacked adjuncts. The study is also concerned with supporting a top-down approach to structure building.
