Document Type

Project

Publication Date

Winter 2004

Keywords

Syntactic theory, Coordination, Conjunction

Abstract

In the field of syntactic theory, there are several enigmas that continue to baffle researchers. One such construction in English is the Double Object construction. Though most native and non-native English speakers are aware of the existence of this construction, many are unaware of the conundrum it presents to syntacticians. Observe the following example sentences: (1) Mary sent a letter to Jim. (2) Mary sent Jim a letter. While the grammaticality of these sentences is unquestioned, the precise inner workings on a syntactic level are the topic of much debate. Quandaries that arise include the applicability of current branching and government theories, the appropriate assignment of abstract case to the noun phrases in each clause, and the comparison of the dative versus double object constructions ((1) and (2) above, respectively). It is with these questions in mind that I intend to apply existing work to the relevant issue(s) and further explore the problem of double object constructions. Finally, I will pose what questions are remaining so that more specific work may be accomplished in this area of syntactic theory.

Department

Linguistics

Subjects - Topical (LCSH)

English language--Syntax; Linguistic analysis (Linguistics)

Genre/Form

student projects; term papers

Type

Text

Rights

Copying of this document in whole or in part is allowable only for scholarly purposes. It is understood, however, that any copying or publication of this document for commercial purposes, or for financial gain, shall not be allowed without the author’s written permission.

Rights Statement

http://rightsstatements.org/vocab/InC/1.0/

Language

English

Format

application/pdf

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Included in

Linguistics Commons

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