DOI: 10.5176/2251-2853_2.2.119
Authors: Changyin Zhou and Wenjing Su
Abstract:
Typologically speaking, passivization in DOCs has four patterns, namely passivization of merely indirect objects (IOs), of merely direct objects (DOs), of either DOs or IOs and of
neither DOs nor IOs. Chinese DOCs demonstrate asymmetric properties in passivization. In Chinese Get-type DOCs, passivization of the IOs is acceptable while that of DOs are unacceptable. However, in Chinese Give-type DOCs, passivization of the IOs is unacceptable, and that of the DOs is acceptable only when the DOs are definite. This paper, based on the theory of ACCUSATIVE CASE BLOCKING (ACB) of Woolford (1993), will make an attempt to see whether ACB can be applied to explain the asymmetric properties in the passivization of Chinese DOCs within the framework of Minimalist Program (MP). Specifically, it will be shown that, ACB can be used straightforwardly in Chinese Get-type DOCs. As for the Give-type DOCs, we argue that gei in ‘V + gei +NP1 +NP2’ constructions should be treated as a preposition and that the ‘gei + NP1 + NP2’ and the ‘V + NP1 + NP2’ constructions should be treated as the subtypes of ‘V + gei ＋NP1 + NP2’construction with a covert preposition gei in it. Thus
the IO in the Give-type DOCs will be a marked argument with Goal on it realized by a preposition, and making the DO the highest unmarked argument. In this way, it can be seen that ACB is applicable in the passivization of all Chinese DOCs. As for why definite DPs are required in the passivization of Chinese Give-type DOCs, we argue that in this case, DOC in Chinese will be a double-Spec construction in which the light verb v will have an edge feature. This feature will have to be checked by a definite DP.
Keywords:
ACB (Accusative Case Blocking), asymmetry, DOC (Double Object Construction), Passivization
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