Why is ‘The children won’t buy flowers at the market on Saturday, but I will plants at the store on Sunday.’ Ungrammatical?

You can get the same effect in mostly the same situations by using the pro-verb "do so" instead of ellipsis/auxiliary stranding:

  • *but I will do so plants at the store on Sunday; *but I will plants at the store on Sunday
  • but I will do so at the store on Sunday; but I will at the store on Sunday
  • but I will do so on Sunday; but I will on Sunday
  • but I will do so at the store; but I will at the store

Both forms of reduction appear to require the gap or the pro-form to replace not just the verb, but also all its complements. However, adjuncts such as "at the store" and "on Sunday" can be still be attached.

For more information on these constructions, see Cambridge Grammar of the English Language, ch. 17, section 7, especially §7.1 (auxiliary stranding) and §7.5 (do so).

/r/linguistics Thread