Modifier Phrase (ModP)

♦ ModP is the landing site for adverbs (and PP modifiers) within the Left Periphery. Rizzi (2004: 241) labelled this head “Mod(ifier)”, “assuming modification to be the substantive relationbetween an adverb and the structure it relates to.”

♦ Distributional properties suggest that highlighted adverbials (Rizzi 2013: 203) usually fill positions distinct from those of topic (as in 1b), as the clause following a preposed adverb does not typically function as a comment on it.

♦ While topics require some connection to the background, highlighted adverbials do not. Fronted adverbials might be genuine Topics or Foci, as in (1d), but ''in neutral context they are neither''. (Rizzi & Bocci, forthcoming)

♦ Adverbs cannot naturally precede Wh-operators and they do not give rise to any island effect as Topics do. They can precede wh-operators only ʽʽin very special discourse contexts, that is, when they have been mentioned in the immediately preceding discourse, preposed adverbs can also be moved to a genuine topic position, with the familiar characteristics of ordinary topicsʼʼ (Rizzi 2004: 241).

♦ When adverbs cross each other (according to Cinque's 1999 hierarchy), without bearing any focal stress (as in 1c, contrasting with 1d), they give rise to intervention effects in terms of Relativized Minimality (Rizzi 1990, 2004, Starke 2001).

(1)   a.   Gianni ha trovato rapidamente la soluzione

               'Gianni found rapidly the solution'

        b.    Rapidamente, Gianni ha trovato la soluzione

               'Rapidly, Gianni found the solution'

        c.    *Rapidamente, Gianni ha probabilmente trovato ___ la soluzione

               'Rapidly, Gianni probably found the solution'

        d.    RAPIDAMENTE, Gianni ha probabilmente trovato ___ la soluzione, non lentamente.

               'Rapidly, Gianni probably found the solution, not slowly

(Italian, Rizzi & Bocci, 2016)

♦ In the left peripheral map, ModifierP (ModP) is located in the lower part of the CP: it can be higher than the lowest Topic position, but lower than IntP and Focus (when an adverb is higher than Focus, it targets a a high Topic position in the structure):

(2)    a.           Rapidamente, i libri, li hanno rimessi a posto

                       Rapidly, the books, they put them back in place 

(Italian, Rizzi 2004: 239 ; 49) 

         b.           Mi domando se, rapidamente, Gianni potrà trovare la soluzione

                        I wonder if, rapidly, Gianni will manage to find a solution

(Italian, Rizzi & Bocci, 2016)

Main References : Cinque G. (1999), Rizzi L. (1990), Rizzi L. (2004), Rizzi L. & Bocci G. (2016)

Starke M. (2001)