Az Eszterházy Károly Tanárképző Főiskola Tudományos Közleményei. 1996. Vol. 1. Eger Journal of English Studies.(Acta Academiae Paedagogicae Agriensis : Nova series ; Tom. 24)

Péter Antonyi: Phrasal verbs: an attempt at a syntactic account

two V positions, - a problem that needs to be addressed - since we have clearly got only one verb. The two V positions would mean that one single verb would have to occupy both terminal nodes somehow. Larson solves this problem with what he calls V-raising, by which the verb moves from the lower V position (he assumes this position of the verb to be underlying) to the higher V node (he postulates this position to be empty underlyingly), leaving a trace behind. Apparently, this trace will be properly governed by the verb, in compliance with the Empty Category Principle (antecedent government). The higher V position will accommodate the verb on the surface. As a result, V-raising proposed by Larson (1988:342343) has strong motivation indeed in that it associates the same (single) verb with both V positions. If we now take a look at 'heavy NP shift' transformations we can say that there are two basic ways to account for them, based upon the fact that the positions of constituents are inherently relative with respect to movement, so the same S-structure may be the result of a different D-structure derived by a different movement (opposite direction). (14) shows the traditional approach, in which the NP moves rightwards to the end of the sentence, leaving its trace immediately after the verb. The other possible explanation (see (15)) presumes the 'complementer movement', that is, it views the given structure as a result of a movement that raises (leftward movement) the reanalysed V (V'—>V) into a postulated empty V position right in front of the NP (see (17)). (14) I gave t to Jim [NP everything that I owed him] (15) I [vp E [NP everything that I owed himj] [v'-»v gave to Jimj]] As we will see, the conditions of application of the V' reanalysis far from being unproblematic. Larson gives his V' reanalysis as an optional rule by which a V' may be reanalysed as a V, if it contains exactly one undischarged internal theta-role (Larson 1988:348-349). This thematic role (assigned to 'Jim', obviously) might be identified 99