On the Structure of English Get-Passives

Abstract

This squib aims to propose a bi-clausal structure analysis of the get-passive construction in English. English get-passives show different properties from the canonical be-passive construction in terms of the thematic properties of the subject and the nature of the passive participle. Based on the agentivity tests data from the literature and the new data set from quantifier interaction, I show that the subject in get-passives is not derived by raising of the underlying object, as Haegeman (1985) proposed, but rather is base-generated in its surface position as the subject of a control verb get, which selects a small clause complement, similarly to Huang's (1999) analysis. However, I claim, contra Huang (1999), that there is no internal NP-movement of the underlying object within the complement, which occurs due to the syntactic formation of the verbal passive participle and accusative case absorption thereof. I show, drawing data from Taranto (2002) and Hallman (2000), that the passive participle in get-passives is adjectival. It is also shown that get-passives as a whole convey eventive interpretation although the participle is categorially adjectival, which is partly due to the semantic contribution of the verb get.