The Category P Features, Projections, Interpretation

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b. *There is hard to believe [t to have been a crime committed t].
.
Further, Epstein (1989) notes that TCs do not show the same kind of scope
ambiguity as show constructions with non-thematic subjects, such as the raising
constructions. Consider (76), with the typical raising verb seem. It is ambiguous, as
the quantified nominal many people can either have scope over the entire clause (due
to its surface position) (i), or it can have scope over the embedded clause only (due to
its base generated position) (ii):
(76) Many people i seem [t i to be having a good time].
(i) many people i [seem [x i have a good time]]
(There are many people who seem to have a good time)
(ii) [seem [many people i [x i have a good time]]
(It seems that there is a large group of people having a good time).
However, in the parallel TC, only the wide-scope reading is attested (77i):
(77) Many people are easy to talk to.
(i) many people i [easy to talk to x i ]
(Many people are such that it is easy to talk to them)
(ii) *easy [many people i [to talk to x i ]
(It is easy to talk to a large group of people)
Comparable Hebrew examples are given in (78) and (79). Using a raising
predicate nir’im (‘seem’) in (78) results in ambiguity. However, once the predicate is
a tough one (79), only the wide-scope reading remains (79i): 54
(78) harbe yeladim nir’im ayefim
many children seem tired
(i) many children i [seem [x i tired]]
(ii) seem [many children i [x i tired]]
54 Thus I totally disagree with Engelhardt’s (1998) claim that (79) has also the narrow-scope reading.