ABSTRACT

Ditransitive constructions in English have been extensively studied by many scholars such as Larson (1988/1990), Aoun & Li (1989), Pesetsky (1995), den Dikken (1995), Harley (2002), Emonds & Whitney (2006), etc., and the grammatical relationship between the double object construction and the dative construction has been one of the main research topics in the generative syntax for decades. This paper reviews the two different approaches, a Transformational and a non-Transformational (or Lexicalist) approach, to the relationship between Double Object Construction (henceforth DOC) and Dative Construction (henceforth DC). We show that the typological variations in Chinese ditransitive constructions can easily, with an appropriate minor modification/revision, be accounted for under the Larsonian VP-shell architecture, which is a transformational approach. Furthermore, based on the identical semantic entailments between Chinese DC and DOC constructions, we argue that Chinese DCs and DOCs are better analyzed if a transformationalist approach is adopted, which constitutes a cross-linguistic support for the phenomena.

KEYWORD

ditransitive constructions, V'-reanalysis, double object construction, dative construction, GEI-datives, passive-like movement, semantic entailments

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