The role of linear order in the computation of referential dependencies

Abstract I consider several types of referential dependencies: those between bound pronouns and their antecedents, e.g. weak crossover and the classical binding conditions. Constraints on such dependencies have typically been formulated in linguistic theory in terms of conditions on the syntactic structures in which these elements are arrayed. I suggest that a relevant factor in determining the well-formedness of such dependencies is the linear order in which the elements appear. On this view, computation of a referential dependency is sensitive to the extent to which the antecedent is accessible in discourse at the point in the string where the dependent element is processed in the course of interpretation. The evidence suggests that the interaction between linear order and discourse structure provides a more satisfactory account of certain well-known effects than do constraints formulated in terms of syntactic structure.