Why you can strand lexical verbs and do so in comparatives

Abstract The Cambridge Grammar of the English Language (Huddleston & Pullum et al . 2002, hereafter CGEL ) states that lexical verbs cannot be stranded in comparative contexts. It also claims that do so cannot appear in comparative constructions. I argue that the generalization of these two related phenomena is too broad. Naturally occurring examples from the highly edited magazine The Economist and other independent sources show that they appear in a comparative environment. Although this article does not attempt to provide a comprehensive account, it highlights a specific structural condition under which stranded lexical verbs and do so appear.