Einführung in die Syntax,WiSe 2021/22 Agata Wiśniewska 815203

Homework 4

1.
a)
she – met assigns case
him – met assigns case
the library – in assigns case
b)
me – call assigns case
2.
Assuming that Swahili has the same double object construction as English, we can say that in
ditransitive constructions in Swahili indirect object is higher in the hierarchy of projections than the
direct object. Because of the locality condition on operation Agree, if there are any unvalued phi-
features on v (v [phi: _ ], then v will Agree with a structurally highest NP that has a matching
valued feature.
For this reason, ditransitive Agrees first with the specifier, next with the indirect object and then
having had all the phi-features checked cannot Agree with the direct object.

3.
a)
Jonas forgot who arrived yesterday.

who arrived yesterday – object clause & interrogative clause

forgot [V, uC]

arrived [V, uN] - “Arrive” is an unaccusative. For that reason N takes a Patient role and Merges as a
complement of V.

b)
George laughed after his sister dropped her ice cream.

after his sister dropped her ice-cream – adjunct clause & declarative clause

laughed [V]
dropped [V, uN]
4.