Phrase-structure grammar and the Barriers conception of clause structure

A major theme of Chomsky's Barriers monograph is the extension of X-bar theory to the so-called nonlexical categories I (INFL) and C (COMP). The extension of X-bar theory to C is a matter of considerable interest. Hence, it is natural to ask whether the analysis can be incorporated into Other frameworks. In particular, it is natural to consider whether it can be incorporated into a phrase-structure-grammar framework such as generalized phrase-structure grammar or head-driven phrase-structure grammar. This is indeed possible. Specifically, it is possible to incorporate it into the version of HPSG developed in Borsley (1986,1987, forthcoming) given Jacobson's (1987) proposal that verb-initial sentences involve a type of bounded dependency which can be analyzed in terms of a feature DSL (double-slash) and the assumption that complementizers are a specialized kind of verb.