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Understanding DP-Movement in English Syntax

The document discusses DP-movement in English syntax, explaining how certain Determiner Phrases (DPs) can unexpectedly appear in different positions within a sentence. It highlights the transformation that moves the subject DP from the embedded voice VP to the main clause TP, particularly in active and passive constructions. Additionally, it addresses grammatical relations and case assignment, emphasizing the role of position in determining case morphology.

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jenifer barrantes kuijper
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12 views18 pages

Understanding DP-Movement in English Syntax

The document discusses DP-movement in English syntax, explaining how certain Determiner Phrases (DPs) can unexpectedly appear in different positions within a sentence. It highlights the transformation that moves the subject DP from the embedded voice VP to the main clause TP, particularly in active and passive constructions. Additionally, it addresses grammatical relations and case assignment, emphasizing the role of position in determining case morphology.

Uploaded by

jenifer barrantes kuijper
Copyright
© All Rights Reserved
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
Available Formats
Download as PPTX, PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd

GRADO EN ESTUDIOS

INGLESES: LENGUA,
LITERATURA Y CULTURA
3er Curso
Sintaxis Inglesa
Curso 2025-26

Tutor: Juan Fons


juafons@[Link]
1. DP -movement
What motivates the DP-movement is not a failure of X-bar theory, but the fact that
certain DPs can appear in positions we don’t expect.

The subject DP is generated in the specifier of the embedded voice VP, where it is
assigned the agent theta role but…

We need a transformation that moves this DP to the specifier of the main clause TP.

This transformation is called DP movement:


1. DP -
movement

The adjectives likely, obvious, eager, easy, etc.,


can appear as the complement of the verb.

These adjectival predicates typically take a CP as a


complement
2. DP –movement
(Passives)
Active clauses have an agent and a theme, whereas passive clauses lack the agentive
theta role in their theta grids.

In the active, the theme argument appears in object position.


In the passive it appears in the subject position. By-phrases are optional adjuncts.

Remember
 Adjuncts are never included in theta grids.
 The theme is the internal argument (i.e., it is not underlined in the theta grid), so it does
not appear in the specifier of the VP.
 It must appear as the complement, like other internal theta roles.
2. DP –movement (Passives)

Let’s claim that:

 the theme is generated in the main verb’s


complement position in actives and passives
but,
 then is moved to subject position (specifier
of TP) in passives
2. DP –movement (Case)

Grammatical relations represent how a DP is functioning in the sentence syntactically.

The most important grammatical relations are subject, object, and indirect object.

The morphology associated with grammatical relations is called case.

• The nominative case, which is found with subjects.


• The accusative case, found with objects.

English is a morphologically poor language.

Grammatical relations are represented by the position of the noun in the sentence
2. DP –movement
(Case)

Abstract Case: proposition by which all nouns get case – we just don’t see it overtly.

DPs are given Case if and only if they appear in specific positions in the sentence;
• Nominative Case is assigned in the specifier of finite T.
• Accusative Case is assigned to the complement of the verb
2. DP –movement
(Case)

In passives, only active transitive verbs can assign Accusative Case


2. DP –movement
(Case)

In passives. Only active transitive


verbs can assign accusative Case:
3. Activities DP –
movement
GPS7
3. Activities DP – Let’s draw this tree
movement
GPS7
Activities DP –movement
GPS7
Activities DP –movement
GPS7
3. Activities DP – Let’s draw this tree

GPS7
movement
3. Activities DP – GPS9
movement
Why is this sentence agramatical?
3. Activities DP – Why is this sentence agramatical?
movement GPS9
3. PEC 2020-
21
One lives in the hope of becominga memory today

The product of two even numbers is always even


3. PEC 2020-
21

The news is certain to have been biased by the politician

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