1Episode 8a. Passives andremaining issues6.4-6.7CAS LX 522Syntax IThe case of prepositional objects Several issues arose in the course of HW6that may are worth highlighting here. One concerns the case of the object of apreposition: Computers break near me. Now that we’ve incorporated case into oursystem, we’re stuck with it. Noun phrasescome with case. Computers has case(nominative) and me has case (accusative). The question is: How is the case of mechecked?Computers break near me Computers break is unaccusative; there’s noagent, and computers is the Theme/Patient,it is the affected object. Thus, we have in our numeration: break [V, uN*] vunaccusative [v, uInfl:, uV*] computers [N, φ:3pl, case ] T [T, uφ:, pres, uN*] As well as near and me, which we’ll get to ina moment.Computers break First, let’s just do computers break. We start by merging break andcomputers.NPcomputers[N, φ:3pl, ca se]VPVbreak[V, uN*]Computers break v [v, uInfl:, uV*] We Merge v with VP (HoP).NPcomputers[N, φ:3pl, ca se]VPVbreak[V, uN*]vPv[v, uV*uInfl:]Computers break The V moves up to adjoin to v to checkthe [uV*] feature of v.NPcomputers[N, φ:3pl, ca se]VP<V>vPvv[v, uV*,uInfl:]Vbreak[V, uN*]2Computers break The T is Merged with vP (HoP). T has the features: [T, pres, uφ:, u N*, nom]. The [nom] feature of T can now matchthe [case] feature of computers.NPcomputers[N, φ:3pl, ca se]VP<V>vPvv[v, uV*,uInfl:]Vbreak[V, uN*]T′T[T, tense:pres, uφ:, uN*, nom]Computers break The [nom] feature of T matches, values,and checks the [case] feature ofcomputers, checking itself in the process. The [uφ:] feature of T can also match the[φ:3pl] feature of computers.NPcomputers[N, φ:3pl, nom]VP<V>vPvv[v, uV*,uInfl:]Vbreak[V, uN*]T′T[T, tense:pres, uφ:, uN*, nom]Computers break The [φ:3pl] feature of computers matches, values,and checks the [uφ:] feature of T. The [tense:pres] feature of T matches the [uInfl:]feature of v, which will be valued by both thetense and φ-features of T. It’s [tense:pres] that matches the [uInfl:] feature, but the φ-features “come along” when the [uInfl:] feature is valued.NPcomputers[N, φ:3pl, nom]VP<V>vPvv[v, uV*,uInfl:]Vbreak[V, uN*]T′T[T, tense:pres, uφ:3pl, uN*, nom]Computers break The [uN*] feature of T matches the [N]feature of computers. This is not sufficient tocheck the [uN*] feature because they arenot local, so computers is moved up toSpecTP.NPcomputers[N, φ:3pl, nom]VP<V>vPvv[v, uV*,uInfl:pres3pl]Vbreak[V, uN*]T′T[T, tense:pres, uφ:3pl, uN*, nom]Computers break Once the [N] feature of computers is a sister tothe T′ that has the [uN*] feature (the featureprojects from T to T′—it’s the same feature), the[uN*] feature is checked.<NP>VP<V>vPvv[v, uV*,uInfl:pres3pl]Vbreak[V, uN*]T′T[T, tense:pres, uφ:3pl, uN*, nom]NPcomputers[N, φ:3pl, nom]TPComputers break near me Now, let’s consider Computers break near me. Me is clearly accusative. There’s nothing here that canvalue a case feature as accusative. All we’re adding tothis is me (which has accusative case) and the P near.<NP>VP<V>vPvv[v, uV*,uInfl:pres3pl]Vbreak[V, uN*]T′T[T, tense:pres, uφ:3pl, uN*, nom]NPcomputers[N, φ:3pl, nom]TP3Computers break near me Conclusion: It must be near that is responsible forthe accusative case on me.<NP>VP<V>vPvv[v, uV*,uInfl:pres3pl]Vbreak[V, uN*]T′T[T, tense:pres, uφ:3pl, uN*, nom]NPcomputers[N, φ:3pl, nom]TPPnear[P, uN *, acc]NPpronoun[N, φ:1sg, case]Computers break near me Merge near and me (1sg pronoun). The [N] feature of mechecks the [u N*] feature of near. The [acc] feature ofnear values and checks the [case] feature of me(checking itself in the process).<NP>VP<V>vPvv[v, uV*,uInfl:pres3pl]Vbreak[V, uN*]T′T[T, tense:pres, uφ:3pl, uN*, nom]NPcomputers[N, φ:3pl, nom]TPPnear[P, uN *, acc]NPpronoun[N, φ:1sg, acc]PPNear me computers break The last step: Adjoin the PP to the TP. To the TP? Near me can appear on either side of TP, not vP. Computers near me break<NP>VP<V>vPvv[v, uV*,uInfl:pres3pl]Vbreak[V, uN*]T′T[T, tense:pres, uφ:3pl, uN*, nom]NPcomputers[N, φ:3pl, nom]TPPnear[P, uN *, acc]NPpronoun[N, φ:1sg, acc]PPTPP checks accusative So, in general: A preposition P… Has a [P] category feature Has a [uN*] feature, motivating a Merge with its object. Has an [acc] feature, valuing and checking the [case]feature of its object. T has [T], [uN*] (EPP), [uφ:], [nom] v has [v], [uIn fl:], [uV*], and, if v assigns a θ-role, it has[uN*] and [acc].Double-object constructions We’ve by now covered the sentence Pat gave books to Chris. Pat, books, and Chris are all noun phrases,they all need case. Pat gets (nom) case from T. books gets (acc) case from v. Chris gets (acc) case from P (to). What about Pat gave Chris books? The “have” kind of “give” must have an [acc] feature.Adverbs Before today, we’d always drawn adjuncts asadjoined to vP. This explains why sloppily can beeither to the left or to the right of vP: Pat sloppily ate lunch. Pat ate lunch sloppily. Pat has sloppily eaten lunch. Pat has eaten lunch sloppily. Sloppily also seems to be able to adjoin to PerfPor ProgP, at least marginally. ?Pat might sloppily have eaten lunch. ?Pat should sloppily be eating lunch. But it can’t be between a subject and T: *Pat sloppily might eat lunch.4Manner vs. propositional adverbs Sloppily, slowly, quickly— all describe themanner in which an action takes place.These are manner adverbs. They adjoin tovP. There are other kinds of adverbs as well,however. One such kind are propositionaladverbs: perhaps, fortunately, interestingly.These express a kind of attitude on the partof the speaker toward the content of thesentence.Propositional & temporal adverbs Propositional adverbs seem to adjoin to TP. Fortunately, Pat ate lunch. Pat ate lunch, fortunately. ?Pat fortunately ate lunch. ?Pat might have fortunately eaten lunch. Temporal adverbs also seem to adjoin high. Today Pat ate lunch. Pat ate lunch today. *Pat today ate lunch.Adverb positions Generally speaking, where an adverbattaches depends on its meaning. vP for manner adverbs, TP for temporal adverbs, … Notice that we predict this now: Yesterday [Pat completely [finished lunch]]. Yesterday [Pat [finished lunch] completely]. Pat [[finished lunch] completely]