英语处所倒装结构的及物性限制条件

The transitivity restriction of English locative inversion constructions

本文试图论证所有允许处所倒装的动词均应归入非宾格动词一类,处所倒装结构完全具备英语显性非宾格性有效诊断式的资格。出现在处所倒装结构中的非作格动词实际上已经被非宾格化,正如已被动化的及物动词一样,属于句法意义上的非宾格动词。只有当内论元名词组与处所介词组位于同一个动词组之内,两者离时态中心语T等距离时,处所倒装才有可能发生。处所介词组提升移位到spec-TP,从而派生出相应的倒装语序。

The paper argues that all verbs allowing locative inversion can be classified as unaccusatives and the locative inversion construction qualifies as a reliable diagnostic of surface unaccusativity in English. It is shown that the unergative verbs that appear in locative inversion constructions have become unaccusativized and, like passivized transitive verbs, are syntactically unaccusative. Locative inversion is possible only when the internal argument NP and the locative PP are in the same VP and thus become minimally equidistant to T. In this case,the locative PP raises to spec-TP, deriving the observed inverted word order.