Wh-constructions in Persian : A Minimalist Approach

In this article, the simple and complex wh-questions are examined in Persian in the framework of Phase Theory (Chomsky 2001, 2005 & 2007).The objective is the evaluation of this approach and its method of analysis in these type of sentences. This study shows Persian has two types of wh-questions: a) wh- in- situ b) displaced wh. The study of the first group shows that LF movement in Persian is different from LF movement in English. It involves Overt Operator movement. It syntactically shows the same behavior as overt movement. The study of the second group supports this assumption that Displaced wh can occupy two different positions, Focus Phrase or Force phrase.