Episode 8a. Passives and remaining issues

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CAS LX 522Syntax I

• Episode 8a. Passives andremaining issues
• 6.4-6.7

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Some words from the blog

• Several issues arose in the course of HW6 that
  may are worth highlighting here.
• One concerns the case of the object of a
  preposition Computers break near me.
• Now that weve incorporated case into our system,
  were stuck with it. Noun phrases come with case.
  Computers has case (nominative) and me has case
  (accusative).
• The question is How is the case of me checked?

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Computers break near me

• Computers break is unaccusative theres no
  agent, and computers is the Theme/Patient, it is
  the affected object.
• Thus, we have in our numeration
• break V, uN
• vunaccusative v, uInfl, uV
• computers N, f3pl, case
• T T, uf, pres, uN
• As well as near and me, which well get to in a
  moment.

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Computer break

• First, lets just do computers break.
• We start by merging break and computers.

VP
NPcomputersN, f3pl, case
VbreakV
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Computers break

• v v, uInfl, uV
• We Merge v with VP (HoP).

vP
VP
v v, uV uInfl
NPcomputersN, f3pl, case
VbreakV
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Computers break

• The V moves up to adjoin to v to check the uV
  feature of v.

vP
VP
v
NPcomputersN, f3pl, case
ltVgt
v v, uV, uInfl
VbreakV
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Computers break

• The T is Merged with vP (HoP).
• T has the features T, pres, uf, uN, nom.
• The nom feature of T can now match the case
  feature of computers.

T?
vP
TT, tensepres, uf, uN, nom
VP
v
NPcomputersN, f3pl, case
ltVgt
v v, uV, uInfl
VbreakV
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Computers break

• The nom feature of T matches, values, and
  checks the case feature of computers, checking
  itself in the process.
• The uf feature of T can also match the fpl
  feature of computers.

T?
vP
TT, tensepres, uf, uN, nom
VP
v
NPcomputersN, f3pl, nom
ltVgt
v v, uV, uInfl
VbreakV
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Computers break

• The f3pl feature of computers matches, values,
  and checks the uf feature of T.
• The tensepres feature of T matches the
  uInfl feature of v, which will be valued by
  both the tense and f-features of T.
• Its tensepres that matches the uInfl
  feature, but the f-features come along when the
  uInfl feature is valued.

T?
vP
TT, tensepres, uf3pl, uN, nom
VP
v
NPcomputersN, f3pl, nom
ltVgt
v v, uV, uInfl
VbreakV
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Computers break

• The uN feature of T matches the N feature of
  computers. This is not sufficient to check the
  uN feature because they are not local, so
  computers is moved up to SpecTP.

T?
vP
TT, tensepres, uf3pl, uN, nom
VP
v
NPcomputersN, f3pl, nom
ltVgt
v v, uV, uInflpres3pl
VbreakV
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Computers break

• Once the N feature of computers is a sister to
  the T? that has the uN feature (the feature
  projects from T to T?its the same feature), the
  uN feature is checked.

TP
NPcomputersN, f3pl, nom
T?
vP
TT, tensepres, uf3pl, uN, nom
VP
v
ltNPgt
ltVgt
v v, uV, uInflpres3pl
VbreakV
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Computers break near me

• Now, lets consider Computers break near me.
• Me is clearly accusative. Theres nothing here
  that can value a case feature as accusative. All
  were adding to this is me (which has accusative
  case) and the P near.

TP
NPcomputersN, f3pl, nom
T?
vP
TT, tensepres, uf3pl, uN, nom
VP
v
ltNPgt
ltVgt
v v, uV, uInflpres3pl
VbreakV
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Computers break near me

• Conclusion It must be near that is responsible
  for the accusative case on me.

PnearP, uN, acc
NPpronounN, f1sg, case
TP
NPcomputersN, f3pl, nom
T?
vP
TT, tensepres, uf3pl, uN, nom
VP
v
ltNPgt
ltVgt
v v, uV, uInflpres3pl
VbreakV
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Computers break near me

• Merge near and me (1sg pronoun). The N feature
  of me checks the uN feature of near. The acc
  feature of near values and checks the case
  feature of me (checking itself in the process).

PP
PnearP, uN, acc
NPpronounN, f1sg, acc
TP
NPcomputersN, f3pl, nom
T?
vP
TT, tensepres, uf3pl, uN, nom
VP
v
ltNPgt
ltVgt
v v, uV, uInflpres3pl
VbreakV
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Near me computers break

• The last step Adjoin the PP to the TP.
• To the TP? Near me can appear on either side of
  TP, not vP.

TP
PP
TP
PnearP, uN, acc
NPpronounN, f1sg, acc
NPcomputersN, f3pl, nom
T?
vP
TT, tensepres, uf3pl, uN, nom
VP
v
ltNPgt
ltVgt
v v, uV, uInflpres3pl
VbreakV
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P checks accusative

• So, in general A preposition P
• Has a P category feature
• Has a uN feature, motivating a Merge with its
  object.
• Has an acc feature, valuing and checking the
  case feature of its object.
• T has T, uN (EPP), uf, nom
• v has v, uInfl, uV, and, if v assigns a
  q-role, it has uN and acc.

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Feature matching/valuation

• A modal like might has a category feature T,
  but well say it also has a modal feature.
• modal values a uInfl feature as none.
• Pat might leave. They might leave.
• If there is no modal feature, tense values a
  uInfl feature with the tense features and
  (valued) f-features.
• Pat leaves. They leave.
• If a uInfl on Aux (Perf and Prog) is valued by
  a tense feature, it is strong, and must be local
  to the valuing feature
• Pat has not left.
• Pat might not have left.

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Double-object constructions

• Weve by now covered the sentence
• Pat gave books to Chris.
• Pat, books, and Chris are all noun phrases, they
  all need case.
• Pat gets (nom) case from T.
• books gets (acc) case from v.
• Chris gets (acc) case from P (to).
• What about Pat gave Chris books?

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givepossessive vs. givelocative

• Notice that the two constructions mean slightly
  different things
• Pat gave Chris books.
• Pat caused Chris to have books.
• Pat sent Chicago letters.
• Pat taught preschoolers Calculus.
• Pat gave books to Chris
• Pat caused books (to go/be located) to Chris.
• Pat sent letters to Chicago.
• Pat taught Calculus to preschoolers.
• So far, weve been dealing with givelocative.

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Chris has books

• If have (possessive) is somehow part of the
  meaning of givepossessive (causehave), lets
  think a bit about have.
• In Chris has books, Chris is not an agent.
  Suppose instead that Chris is a theme/patient,
  affected by the possession.
• Since there is no agent, suppose that Chris has
  books has the unaccusative v.
• v v, uV, uInfl

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Chris has books

• We now have two NPs, and only one avenue for
  checking case (T, which will value Chris as
  nominative). Books needs (acc) case from
  somewhere. Well, what are the options?

vP
v v, uInfl, uV
VP
V?
NPChrisN, f3sg, case
NPbooksN, f3pl, case
VhaveV, uN, uN,
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Chris has books

• It must be that books gets case from have itself.
• What q-role does books have?
• UTAH does not yet cover this case (NP daughter of
  V?)

vP
v v, uInfl, uV
VP
V?
NPChrisN, f3sg, case
NPbooksN, f3pl, case
VhaveV, uN, uN, acc
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Chris has books

• Lets say that books has a Possessee q-role.
• So we add to UTAH
• NP daughter of V? Possessee.

vP
v v, uInfl, uV
VP
V?
NPChrisN, f3sg, case
NPbooksN, f3pl, acc
VhaveV, uN, uN, acc
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Chris has books

• Have (possessive) is a V that takes two arguments
  (uN, uN) and checks accusative case (acc).
• Its almost like a transitive preposition
  (PHAVE).
• Now, suppose we add an Agent.

vP
v v, uInfl, uV
VP
V?
NPChrisN, f3sg, case
NPbooksN, f3pl, acc
VhaveV, uN, uN, acc
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Pat gave Chris books

• That is, Pat cause Chris to have books, more or
  less.
• Now using the vagent, we have uN, acc features
  on v as well. The acc feature can value and
  check the case on Chris.

v?
v v, uInfl, acc, uN, uV
VP
V?
NPChrisN, f3sg, case
NPbooksN, f3pl, acc
VhaveV, uN, uN, acc
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Pat gave Chris books

• Move V to v, Merge in Pat. Assume that
  vagenthave give (possessive), and we have Pat
  gave Chris books.
• Pat will get its case feature checked by T
  (nom), and v will have its uInfl feature
  valued by T (past3sg).

vP
NPPatN, f3sg, case
v?
v
VP
V?
NPChrisN,f3sg,acc
VgiveV, uN,uN, acc
v v, uInfl, acc, uN,uV
NPbooksN, f3pl, acc
ltVgt
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Adverbs

• Before today, wed always drawn adjuncts as
  adjoined to vP. This explains why sloppily can be
  either to the left or to the right of vP
• Pat sloppily ate lunch.
• Pat ate lunch sloppily.
• Pat has sloppily eaten lunch.
• Pat has eaten lunch sloppily.
• Quickly also seems to be able to adjoin to PerfP
  or ProgP, at least marginally.
• ?Pat might sloppily have eaten lunch.
• ?Pat should sloppily be eating lunch.
• But it cant be between a subject and T
• Pat sloppily might eat lunch.

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Manner vs. propositional adverbs

• Sloppily, slowly, quickly all describe the
  manner in which an action takes place. These are
  manner adverbs. They adjoin to vP.
• There are other kinds of adverbs as well,
  however. One such kind are propositional adverbs
  perhaps, fortunately, interestingly. These
  express a kind of attitude on the part of the
  speaker toward the content of the sentence.

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Propositional adverbs

• Propositional adverbs seem to adjoin to TP.
• Fortunately, Pat ate lunch.
• Pat ate lunch, fortunately.
• ?Pat fortunately ate lunch.
• ?Pat might have fortunately eaten lunch.
• Temporal adverbs also seem to adjoin high.
• Today Pat ate lunch.
• Pat ate lunch today.
• Pat today ate lunch.

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Adverb positions

• Generally speaking, where an adverb attaches
  depends on its meaning.
• vP for manner adverbs, TP for temporal adverbs,
• Notice that we predict this now
• Yesterday Pat completely finished lunch.
• Pat ate lunch completely yesterday.
• Pat ate lunch yesterday completely.
• Later, perhaps, well consider additional
  complexity in adverb placement.

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Passives

• The passive construction is one where
• The original subject disappears (or is moved to a
  by-phrase)
• The original object becomes the subject.
• The verb appears as bepassive participle.
• The passive participle in English sounds just
  like the perfective participle.
• Pat took pretzels. active
• Pretzels were taken (by Pat). passive

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Passives

• Pat stole books.
• Books were stolen (by Pat).
• In both cases, books is getting the Theme/Patient
  q-role. By UTAH, it must be originally Merged as
  NP daughter of VP, in both the active and the
  passive.
• In fact, the passive is a lot like the
  unaccusative. An underlying object becomes the
  subject.

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Passives

• We dont need anything really new for the
  passive, just the passive auxiliary Pass.
• be Pass, uInfl selects a vunaccusative.
• By selecting for vunaccusative, the passive
  auxiliary removes an Agent.
• Not allowed for intransitives, an open mystery.
• The passive auxiliary works like other
  auxiliaries Pass can value a lower uInfl
  feature, if Pass own uInfl feature is valued
  by a tense feature, it is strong.
• Lunch was not eaten.
• Pass is the last auxiliary in the HoP
• Lunch may not have been being eaten.
• T gt (Neg) gt (Perf) gt (Prog) gt (Pass) gt v gt V

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Lunch was eaten

• For Lunch was eaten, we Merge eat and lunch to
  build the VP, then Merge an unaccusative v

vP
VP
v v, uV,uInfl
NPlunchN, f3sg, case
VeatV, uN
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Lunch was eaten

• The V moves up to adjoin to v to check the uV
  feature of v.
• The Pass auxiliary is Merged (HoP).
• Pass matches, values, checks uInfl on v.

PassP
vP
PassbePass, uInfl
VP
v
ltVgt
VeatV, uN
v v, uV,uInfl
NPlunchN, f3sg, case
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Lunch was eaten

• T is Merged (HoP).
• nom on T matches, values, checks case on
  lunch.
• f3sg on lunch matches, values, checks uf on
  T.
• past on T matches, values uInfl on Pass.

T?
PassP
TT, tensepast, uf, uN, nom
vP
PassbePass, uInfl
VP
v
ltVgt
VeatV, uN
v v, uV, uInflpass
NPlunchN, f3sg, case
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Lunch was eaten

• Pass moves to T (checks uInflpast on Pass).

T?
PassP
T
ltPassgt
PassbePass,uInflpast
TT, tensepast, uf3sg, uN,nom
vP
VP
v
ltVgt
VeatV, uN
v v, uV, uInflpass
NPlunchN, f3sg, nom
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Lunch was eaten

• Lunch moves to SpecTP (checks uN on T).

TP
T?
NPlunchN, f3sg, nom
PassP
T
ltPassgt
PassbePass,uInflpast
TT, tensepast, uf3sg, uN,nom
vP
VP
v
ltVgt
VeatV, uN
v v, uV, uInflpass
ltNPgt
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Ditransitive passives

• Consider again Pat gave Chris books.
• Chris was given books.
• Books were given Chris.
• (Exercise 6.5) Pat gave books to Chris.
• Books were given to Chris.
• Chris was given books to.

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