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Why a bed can be slept in but not under

Variation in V+P constructions

Abstract

In English the verbs that collocate with prepositions are called prepositional verbs (V+P) and are often subsumed under the class of phrasal verbs (V+ particle) although they should be kept distinct: in fact, it is easy to show that prepositions and particles have different syntactic behaviors. One of the most striking characteristics of these verbs is that they can passivize, i.e. the prepositional object can be extracted from inside the PP and become the subject of the corresponding passive sentence. Not all prepositional verbs have a passive counterpart, though. Why? This paper addresses this question by regarding the prepositions entering (V+P) as functional elements, especially in view of their relationship with (“prepositional”) objects.

Abstract

In English the verbs that collocate with prepositions are called prepositional verbs (V+P) and are often subsumed under the class of phrasal verbs (V+ particle) although they should be kept distinct: in fact, it is easy to show that prepositions and particles have different syntactic behaviors. One of the most striking characteristics of these verbs is that they can passivize, i.e. the prepositional object can be extracted from inside the PP and become the subject of the corresponding passive sentence. Not all prepositional verbs have a passive counterpart, though. Why? This paper addresses this question by regarding the prepositions entering (V+P) as functional elements, especially in view of their relationship with (“prepositional”) objects.

Chapters in this book

  1. Prelim pages i
  2. Table of contents v
  3. Acknowledgements vii
  4. Introduction 1
  5. Part one: Synchronic variation in phonology and syntax
  6. Germanic and Romance onset clusters – how to account for microvariation 25
  7. The use of gerunds and infinitives in perceptive constructions 53
  8. Adverb and participle agreement 89
  9. Why a bed can be slept in but not under 119
  10. Deriving idiolectal variation 145
  11. On the variable nature of head final effects in German and English 177
  12. Part two: Diachronic variation in phonology and syntax
  13. Variation and change in Italian phonology 205
  14. Which clues for which V2 237
  15. Parameter typology from a diachronic perspective 259
  16. Part three: On the relationship between language variation and language change in bilingual settings
  17. Attrition at the interfaces in bilectal acquisition (Italian/Gallipolino) 295
  18. Little v and cross-linguistic variation 317
  19. On language acquisition and language change 337
  20. Index 371
Theoretical Approaches to Linguistic Variation
This chapter is in the book Theoretical Approaches to Linguistic Variation
https://doi.org/10.1075/la.234.05pad

Chapters in this book

  1. Prelim pages i
  2. Table of contents v
  3. Acknowledgements vii
  4. Introduction 1
  5. Part one: Synchronic variation in phonology and syntax
  6. Germanic and Romance onset clusters – how to account for microvariation 25
  7. The use of gerunds and infinitives in perceptive constructions 53
  8. Adverb and participle agreement 89
  9. Why a bed can be slept in but not under 119
  10. Deriving idiolectal variation 145
  11. On the variable nature of head final effects in German and English 177
  12. Part two: Diachronic variation in phonology and syntax
  13. Variation and change in Italian phonology 205
  14. Which clues for which V2 237
  15. Parameter typology from a diachronic perspective 259
  16. Part three: On the relationship between language variation and language change in bilingual settings
  17. Attrition at the interfaces in bilectal acquisition (Italian/Gallipolino) 295
  18. Little v and cross-linguistic variation 317
  19. On language acquisition and language change 337
  20. Index 371
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