Grammar Squib - The Complex Passive in Danish

Template: NP (aux) Vmatrix Vcomplement* (PP)

Template with expletive subject EXPL (aux) Vmatrix Vcomplement* ((NPindefinite) OR (PP))

Matrix verb Verbal complement Voice passive passive Form Periphrastic passive or synthetic passive Passive past participle

Changes to the citation form Suffix –t and use the aux. blive ‘become’ (periphrastic) or Suffix –s (synthetic) Suffix -t Relation to the subject of the construction SUBJ is not a thematic argument SUBJ is a thematic argument (↑SUBJ) = (↑XCOMP SUBJ)

Relation to the object of the construction if expletive subject OBJ is not a thematic argument OBJ is a thematic argument (↑OBJ) = (↑XCOMP OBJ) Semantics Denotes an action Argument-structure:

Grammatical functions: [PROP]

‹XCOMP› SUBJ [UNDERGOER]

       ‹SUBJ›                   	

If expletive subject Argument structure:

Grammatical functions:	 

[PROP]

‹XCOMP› SUBJ OBJ [UNDERGOER]

       ‹OBJ›                   	

Syntactic selection Selecting verbal complement Lexical properties Control verb (subject or object control) Tendencies Rarely allows prefixed negation u- ‘un-’ Characteristics of the corresponding active verb form Selects infinitival complements without a prepositional marker. Does not take experiencer subject

	Not an unaccusative verb