Aspectual properties of the English middle construction
نویسنده
چکیده
The aim of the present paper is to investigate the aspectual properties of middle constructions in English. English middle constructions are non-eventive sentences deno ting a property of the grammatical subject. Middle formation seems to have certain similarities with passivization as both processes involve demotion or deletion of the external argument and promotion of the internal argument to the grammatical subject position. However, while the English passive is formed periphrastically by means of the auxiliary be (was cut in the sentence in (2)), the verb in the middle construction has still the same form as in the active construction (cuts in the sentence in (3)). Moreover, unlike the passive, the middle construction requires the presence of a modifying element, such as a manner adverbial (easily):
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