Exercise 12.5

1 Who did the manager need to dismiss?
  This would be a problem for gap as first resort – a gap would be postulated after need, with who as subject of dismiss, but who should be object of dismiss.
2 Who did the teacher tell Mary to help?
  This would be a problem for gap as first resort – a gap would be postulated after tell, but this is then filled by Mary. Who should be object of help.
3

Which friend did Pamela want to visit John?

  This would be a problem for gap as last resort, which would make the filler the object of visit, but this is filled (with John). The filler should be linked to a gap after want (as subject of visit).
4 Who would Steve like to see?
  Gap as first resort would get the less likely of the two possible interpretations, because a gap would be postulated after like, with who as subject of see, but who should be object of see. This is a possible interpretation, but only in an unlikely scenario such as when Steve has to choose who gets an eye operation. The more likely interpretation would result from gap as last resort, with the gap after see, so that who is the object of see.
5 Who would Joan prefer Beth to call?
  Gap as first resort would postulate a gap after prefer, which then turns out to be filled by Beth, so the next gap would be after call, which is correct and which would have been predicted by gap as last resort.
6 Which student did Peter ask to collect the books?
  Gap as first resort works fine here - which student is the subject of collect so the correct gap location is after ask. If gap as last resort operated, then the processor would wait until absolutely forced to posit a gap, which would mean that at the end of the sentence (when there is no preposition such as for that could be the location (which student ... collect the books for ) the structure would have to be revised.
7 Who did Geoff choose to carry the tent?
  As in 6, gap as last resort would only work if there was a preposition at the end (Who did Geoff choose to carry the tent for?).