1. Syntax
Lecture 10:
Verb Types 2

2. Two argument verbs: a reminder
Each predicate is related to the appropriate argument
agent
theme
Two predicates
null one meaning “do”
lexical one with descriptive content
Complex verb moves to support inflection
Agent moves to subject position
Lexical verb moves to support agentive verb

3. One argument verbs
What are traditionally called intransitive verbs do not behave uniformly
John smiled
He smiled an evil smile (cognate object)
John arrived

4. Cognate objects
The definition of an intransitive verb is one that takes no object
But some can appear with a very limited object which is ‘cognate’ with the verb itself
Cognate = having the same derivation
Latin: pater German: Vater English: father
E.g.
Laugh a sinister laugh
Die a gruesome death
Sleep a fitful sleep

5. One argument verbs
What are traditionally called intransitive verbs do not behave uniformly
John smiled
He smiled an evil smile (cognate object)
John arrived
* He arrived a late arrival
There arrived a stranger (there construction)

6. There construction
In the there construction, what normally functions as the subject appears behind the verb, in object position
An article appeared in the magazine
There appeared an article in the magazine
The subject position is filled by there
A meaningless pronoun
The post verbal position is restricted to indefinites
The article appeared in the magazine
* There appeared the article in the magazine
Some things look like there constructions, but are not
There goes the richest man in the world
The subject is not meaningless but deictic
The object is definite

7. One argument verbs
What are traditionally called intransitive verbs do not behave uniformly
John smiled
He smiled an evil smile (cognate object)
* There smiled a man
John arrived
* He arrived a late arrival
There arrived a stranger (there construction)
In the post arrived a package (locative inversion)

8. Locative inversion
This involves the switching of places between the argument in subject position and a locative PP
At first this looks as though the PP is in subject position, but
In the post there arrived a package

9. One argument verbs
What are traditionally called intransitive verbs do not behave uniformly
John smiled
He smiled an evil smile (cognate object)
* There smiled a man
* in the theatre smiled a man
John arrived
* He arrived a late arrival
There arrived a stranger (there construction)
In the post arrived a package (locative inversion)

10. The difference between them
Verbs which can have cognate objects but can’t appear in there and locative inversion constructions are called unergatives
Verbs which cannot have cognate objects but can appear in there and locative inversion constructions are called unaccusatives
Unergatives have an agent argument
Unaccusatives have a theme argument

11. Unergatives
The UTAH says that there is a uniform position for each argument type
We have seen that agents appear in the specifier of an abstract agentive verb
This suggests that the analysis of an unergative is:
But the lexical part of smile has no argument
Is this something to worry about?

12. Nominal predicates There are two types of nominals formed from verbs:
Those that refer to the process
Those that refer to the result
The building of a bridge
The building
Result nominals typically do not take arguments
So arguments seem to be something related to verbal things

13. Light verbs
Light verbs are fully meaningful verbs used in situations which do not make use of all their meaning:
He took a walk
He gave her a look
He had a quick peep
All of these verbs take a nominal as their complement
The nominal expresses the lexical content of the process (but has no argument)
The verb adds the argument (but not lexical content)
This is very similar to what we are suggesting for the analysis of unergative verbs
He walked
He looked at her
He quickly peeped

14. Cognate Objects
The analysis also provides a possible position for the cognate object

15. Unaccusatives Unaccusative verbs have a theme argument
Themes go in the specifier of lexical verbs
Therefore the structure of an unaccusative verb is:
This accounts for the absence of the cognate object
The object position is already taken

16. The there construction
In the there construction the theme argument does not move to the subject position
Presumably it stays inside the VP
But the verb ends up in front of the theme
So it must move
The verb is in front of the theme even if it doesn’t move to the I position
There might arrive a letter
So there must be a verbal position between its original place and the I

17. The there construction

18. The there construction
This position must be a head position
This head cannot appear with unergatives
The agentive head is present with unergatives but not unaccusatives
So, this head position is in complementary distribution with the agentive verb
This suggest that the two are the same kind of verb, though they differ in meaning
Agentive = do
There head = ???

19. The there construction

20. 2 structures compared
Agentive
There construction

21. Conclusion Two types of intransitives Unaccusative Unergative
Consists of
Lexical predicate with theme in specifier
No place for cognate object
No agentive verb
Can appear in there construction
Unergative
Consists of
Agentive verb with agent in specifier + lexical predicate
Has place for cognate object
Agentive verb in complementary distribution with there head
Can’t appear in there construction