https://i.imgur.com/qPa7GaZ.png
https://www.eng.ntnu.edu.tw/index.php/2024/04/01/lingtalk04232024/
Restrictions on long passives: evidence for a v-related phase
Speaker: Prof. Michelle Sheehan
Professor of Linguistics, Newcastle University (UK)
Host: Prof. Gerardo Fernandez- Salgueiro Department of English, NTNU
Time: Tuesday, April 23, 2024 12:30-14:00
Link: https://meet.google.com/uay-sbek-fuo
Abstract
It has become controversial whether there is a v-related phase in the clausal
extended projection in addition to the C-related phase (see Keine & Zeijlstra
2021). In this talk, I provide evidence from long passives in defense of a v-
related phase which is larger than vP, containing the external argument (which
I call voiceP). The evidence comes from restructions on long passives in
English and many other languages:
*He was made/seen leave.
Examples like (1), I argue, based on Sheehan & Cyrino (2024), involve a voiceP
complement of the matrix causative/perception verb. Long passivisation is
blocked because there are two phase heads between matrix T and the single
argument of leave.
He was made/seen to leave.
Making the complement larger, to include an additional low subject position
makes long passivisation possible because an additional A- movement to this
position makes the argument of leave visible to T, feeding passivisation.