Language Typology and Syntactic Description, Volume I: Clause Structure, Second edition
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Lgg Typology, Synt Description v. I - Clause structure
CD off on(to) Jack (in the first sentence, Fred is getting rid of Jack, in the second,
a CD). There are, furthermore, idiosyncratic restrictions on whether some of these obliques are optional or obligatory. The with phrase can be ellipsed with supply, but not provide, with the object retaining the receipient role: (36) a. We supply Iran (with weapons) b. We provide Iran *(with weapons) Similarly, to-objects are usually optional, but with some verbs they are obligatory: (37) a. Susan passed the shovel (to Paul) b. Susan handed the shovel *(to Paul) There has been substantial recent work, such as Pinker (1989) and Wechsler (1995), on how to predict the choice of preposition, and whether the pp is obligatory or optional. But some facts of preposition choice seem to resist explanation (Wechsler (1995:122)), as do some of the optionality facts, such as those in (36) and (37) above. So there still seems to be a category of obliques that are subject to lexical control, and which therefore may be reasonably regarded as a kind of argument. Furthermore, even in the great majority of cases, where the choice of prepo- sition is semantically predictable, we can make a case that it is not making an independent contribution to the meaning, since one cannot vary the choice of preposition independently to vary the meaning. This suggests that the verb is in some sense determining the semantic role of the np, which is in addition being marked by the preposition. Such a view is indeed taken by Wechsler (1995), following earlier work by Gawron (1986) and Jackendoff (1990). But there are also pps which appear to be arguments where the preposition does seem to make an independent contribution to meaning. The verb put, for example, takes an obligatory directional phrase in in(to) or on(to) (and most other goal pps), while move takes an optional directional pp in into or onto, but not in or on: (38) a. Cally put the key *(on(to) the table / in(to) the box) b. Cally moved (the computer) (on*(to) the table / in*(to) the box) The in/on components here indicate spatial relationships, while the possibilities for omitting or including to seem more arbitrary. (On/in is of course acceptable with move when the pp is an outer locative rather than a directional.) These pps seem clearly to be arguments rather than adjuncts, but they resemble adjuncts in that the preposition is a partially independent bearer of meaning. 160 Avery D. Andrews It seems appropriate to think of the pp as a whole as being an argument to the verb, rather than of the np within it as being the argument, with the preposition marking its role. We therefore classify English pps into adjuncts, and two types of arguments. In the first kind of argument, which we will call ‘p-objects’, the verb determines the choice of preposition, and the np within it functions as an argument of the verb. In the second type, which we will call ‘p-complements’, although the verb may constrain the choice of preposition, it does not determine it completely. Rather the preposition expresses meaning to some extent independently from the verb, and the pp as a whole functions as an argument. 11 Although in many cases it is clear whether one is dealing with an argument or an adjunct, there are also doubtful (perhaps intermediate) cases. For example, almost any verb which is semantically appropriate may take an instrumental with-pp, which suggests that these are adjuncts: (39) a. The old man walks with a stick b. Marcia watched the koalas with binoculars c. Jimmy poked Owen with a stick But P. H. Matthews (1981:18) notes that the verb go does not take instrumental Download 1.59 Mb. Do'stlaringiz bilan baham: |
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