In work on the tough-construction (TC), Hicks (2003, 2009) has advocated an analysis in which the TC matrix subject originates within the embedded infinitival clause and then moves to the matrix clause, recasting in Minimalist terms the early transformational analyses of Rosenbaum (1967) and Postal (1971) and rejecting that of Chomsky (1977), in which the TC subject is base-generated in the matrix clause and coindexed with an embedded null operator. In particular, Hicks proposes that the TC matrix subject undergoes A-movement, which he explicitly likens to raising, as its final step en route from the embedded clause to matrix subject position.
I show here that this proposed A-movement of TC matrix subjects parts ways with raising (and passive) with respect to scope reconstruction. It has long been observed that the TC matrix subject is unable to take scope below the tough-predicate ( Postal 1974...