NP2 copular agreement in Czech presentational contexts

We discuss a class of classificatory NP-NP copular clauses, such as This tree is a linden tree. They display NP2 𝜑𝜑-feature agreement (copular and inter-sentential anaphoric agreement), even though NP2 is a predicate. We argue that this agreement is mediated by a complex covert pronoun in the Middlefield topic position. The proposal thus predicts that only languages in which the covert pronoun can be merged in the Middlefield position may have NP2 agreement. Second, even if a language allows NP2 agreement, NP2 agreement arises only when no other element occupies the Middlefield topic position. Moreover, our proposal has semantic consequences. We argue that semantic doubleclassification of an individual (as a tree and as a linden tree, in our example) must involve two derivational steps (two applications of extended conceptual covers, Aloni 2001).