I'm taking several steps back from this discussion to address what I think is not a clear distinction.  I've generally taken the position on innateness and Universal Grammar that, while interesting and thoughtful, UG proponents have not successfully shown, yet, that linguistic knowledge that is necessary for language acquisition can and must be separated from what is necessary for a general cognitive learning theory.  On the other hand, cognitivists have also not shown that nothing needed for acquisition is specifically language-related and not a function of a general cognitive learning theory.  A handout I've used often with introductory classes to illustrate at least part of the problem involves Gapping in English and Japanese. I've included the handout below.  The problem is based on John Robert Ross, “Gapping and the Order of Constituents.”   1967.  Unpublished paper.

The discussion that followed the exercise usually explored the question of whether this phenomenon shows a universal of syntax or a function of cognition.  As with many really good discussions, there was rarely a resolution.

Herb

Read through the following English and Japanese sentences carefully.

English

1.  a.  I ate fish, Bill ate rice, and Tom ate roast beef.
     b.  I ate fish, Bill rice, and Tom roast beef.

Japanese

2.  a.  watakusi wa        sakana o          tabeta sosite    Biru wa        gohan o           tabeta
          I             (top.)    fish      (obj.)     ate     and        Bill  (top.)     rice    (obj.)     ate
          I ate fish, and Bill ate rice.

     b.  watakusi wa        sakana o,       sosite Biru wa     gohan o        tabeta  
          I             (top.)    fish      (obj.)   and    Bill  (top.)  rice    (obj.)  ate
          I ate fish, and Bill rice.

English

3.  a.  I caught the fish, Bill cleaned the fish, and Jo cooked the fish.
     b.  I caught, Bill cleaned, and Jo cooked the fish.

Japanese

4.  a.  watakusi wa    sakana o     tukamaete, Biru ga       sakana o       aratta,    sosite Jo ga
          I            (top.) fish     (obj.) caught        Bill  (subj.) fish      (obj.) cleaned,  and    Jo (subj.) 
	sakana o      ryorisita
	fish     (obj.) cooked

     b.  watakusi wa    sakana o     tukamaete, Biru ga      aratta,      sosite Jo ga        ryorisita
          I            (top.) fish     (obj.) caught        Bill  (subj.) cleaned,  and     Jo (subj.) cooked


Problem #1:

Formulate a rule of gapping for English and another for Japanese.

Problem #2:

Formulate a single statement of how gapping works that covers both Japanese and English.

Problem #3:  

Explain how two such unrelated and linguistically different languages can exhibit such similar patterns of gapping behavior.

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