ACB and the Asymmetric Properties in Chinese DOC Passivization

Abstract

Typologically speaking, passivization in DOCs has
four patterns, namely passivization of merely indirect objects
(IOs), of merely direct objects (DOs), of either DOs or IOs and of
neither DOs nor IOs. Chinese DOCs demonstrate asymmetric
properties in passivization. In Chinese Get-type DOCs,
passivization of the IOs is acceptable while that of DOs are
unacceptable. However, in Chinese Give-type DOCs, passivization
of the IOs is unacceptable, and that of the DOs is acceptable only
when the DOs are definite. This paper, based on the theory of
ACCUSATIVE CASE BLOCKING (ACB) of Woolford (1993), will make
an attempt to see whether ACB can be applied to explain the
asymmetric properties in the passivization of Chinese DOCs
within the framework of Minimalist Program (MP). Specifically,
it will be shown that, ACB can be used straightforwardly in
Chinese Get-type DOCs. As for the Give-type DOCs, we argue
that gei in ‘V + gei +NP1 +NP2’ constructions should be treated as
a preposition and that the ‘gei + NP1 + NP2’ and the ‘V + NP1 +
NP2’ constructions should be treated as the subtypes of ‘V + gei
＋NP1 + NP2’construction with a covert preposition gei in it. Thus
the IO in the Give-type DOCs will be a marked argument with
Goal on it realized by a preposition, and making the DO the
highest unmarked argument. In this way, it can be seen that ACB
is applicable in the passivization of all Chinese DOCs. As for why
definite DPs are required in the passivization of Chinese
Give-type DOCs, we argue that in this case, DOC in Chinese will
be a double-Spec construction in which the light verb v will have
an edge feature. This feature will have to be checked by a definite
DP.