A-Movement

A-movement = Argument movement, NP

movement.

Raising: Thematic restrictions suggest

that some predicates allow an embedded
subject to raise into their subject position.

(1) a. Hortense left.

b. It is likely that Hortense left.

leave <q1>: Hortense

likely <q1>: that Hortense left

(2) Hortense is likely to leave.

leave <q1>: Hortense

likely <q1>: Hortense to leave

Hortense is likely [t to leave]

 Subject properties

Different verbs have different thematic

requirements for their subjects.

(3) a. That dog loves bones.

b. * That rock loves bones.

The properties of the subject of a raising

predicate depend on the embedded verb:

(4) a. That dog is likely [to love

bones].

b. * That rock is likely [to love

bones].
 Subject properties, cont’d.

Expletive it can only go with certain

verbs, such as rain:

(5) a. It rained. / *What rained?

b. It fell. / What fell?

Again, the properties of the raised subject

depend on the embedded verb:

(6) a. It is likely [to have rained]. /

*What is likely [to have
rained]?

b. It is likely [to have fallen]. /

What is likely [to have fallen]?
 Subject properties, cont’d.

Idiomatic interpretations of subjects are

possible only with certain predicates.

(7) a. The cat is out of the bag.

the cat ≈ the secret

b. The cat is safe with her.

the cat ≠ the secret

Once again, the properties of the raised

subject depend on the embedded verb:

(8) a. The cat is likely [to be out of

the bag].
the cat ≈ the secret

b. The cat is likely [to be safe with

her].
the cat ≠ the secret
 Subject properties, cont’d.

These generalizations can be captured if

the subject of the higher clause has raised
from the embedded subject position (t):

(9) a. That {dog/*rock} is likely [t to

love bones].

b. What is likely [t to have fallen/

*rained]?

c. The cat is likely [t to be out of

the bag / *safe with her].
for: the cat ≈ the secret
 Passives

In passives, an NP moves to subject

position.

(10) a. Hortense ate a cake.

b. A cake was eaten t by Hortense.

The main verb is a perfect participle and

the verb be is in the same form as the
main verb of the active.

(11) a. Hortense is eating the cake.

b. The cake is being eaten t.

(12) a. Hortense has eaten the cake.

b. The cake has been eaten t.

(13) a. Hortense will eat the cake.

b. The cake will be eaten t.
 Grammatical Relation Changing

• A-movement can be a “grammatical-

relation-changing” operation.

• An NP generated as the object can

become the subject of a passive
clause.

• An NP generated as the subject of an

embedded clause can become the
subject of a raising clause.

• Its thematic relation and category

remain the same.
 GR Changing, cont’d.

(14) a. The army destroyed the bridge.

AGENT PATIENT

b. The bridge was destroyed t

PATIENT

by the army.
AGENT

(15) a. Hortense loved Elmer.

EXPERIENCER THEME

b. Elmer was loved t by Hortense.

THEME EXPERIENCER

(16) a. Susan sent Bill a letter.

AGENT RECIP THEME

b. Bill was sent t a letter by Susan.

RECIP THEME AGENT
 Evidence for A-movement in passives

1. The Lexical Mapping Hypothesis

The same argument of the verb is mapped

to the object position of an active clause
and the subject position of a passive
clause.

Active: Hortense loves Elmer.

love(q1,q2)

Passive: Elmer is loved.

love(q2)
 Passive A-movement, cont’d.

2. The A-Movement Hypothesis

The closest NP moves to the subject

position of a passive clause.

Active: Hortense loves Elmer.

love(q1,q2)

Passive: Elmer is loved t.

love(q2)

Which hypothesis is correct?…

 Passive A-movement, cont’d.

In a Raising construction, the embedded

subject raises into a higher clause.

(17) a. It is likely [t to be raining].

b. The cat is likely [t to be out of

the bag].

“Exceptional Case-marking” (ECM)

verbs can also license a subject in an
embedded non-finite clause:

(18) a. We believe [it to be raining].

b. We believe [the cat to be out of

the bag].

What happens when an ECM verb is

passivized?
 Passive A-movement, cont’d.

Mapping Hypothesis: the clause will be

mapped to the subject position.

Active: We believe [it to be raining].

believe(q1,q2)

Passive: [It to be raining] is believed.

believe(q2)
Not true:

(19) a. * [Hortense to love Elmer] is

believed.

b. * [It to be raining] is believed.

c. * [The cat to be out of the bag] is

believed.
 Passive A-movement, cont’d.

A-Movement Hypothesis: the closest

NP will move to the subject position.

Active: We believe [it to be raining].

believe(q1,q2)

Passive: It is believed [t to be raining].

believe(q2)

(20) a. Hortense is believed [t to love

Elmer].

b. It is believed [t to be raining].

c. The cat is believed [t to be out

of the bag].
 Passive A-movement, cont’d.

We conclude that passives, like raising,

involve A-movement.

TP

NP T'

N' T VP
is
N V'
Elmer
V VP
t
V'

V' (PP)

V NP by Hortense
loved t
 A-movement and case

In English, objects have accusative case,

but the subject of a finite clause has
nominative case.

(21) a. Hortense loves him.

ACCUSATIVE

b. He is loved t by Hortense.
NOMINATIVE

Movement in the passive affects the case

of the moved NP.
 A-movement and case, cont’d.

There can also be A-movement to the

subject of a non-finite clause:

(22) a. We believe [Hortense to love

him].

b. We believe [him to be loved t

by Hortense].

In English, an NP in this position has

accusative case (from the ECM verb).
 A-movement as a constituency test

Only constituents can undergo

movement.

(23) a. Mary ate a pizza on Tuesday.

b. A pizza was eaten t on Tuesday

by Mary.

c. * A pizza on Tuesday was eaten

(by Mary).

VP

V'

V' PP

V NP on Tuesday
eat
a pizza
 A-mvt. as a constituency test, cont’d.

(24) a. Bob hit a man with red hair.

b. A man with red hair was hit t

by Bob.

c. * A man was hit t with red hair

(by Bob).

VP

V'

V NP
hit
D N'
a
N' PP

N with red hair

man
 A-mvt. as a constituency test, cont’d.

(25) Mary watched the man with a

telescope.

Meaning 1: man had telescope

Meaning 2: watched with telescope

(26) a. The man with a telescope was

watched t (by Mary).

Meaning 1, *Meaning 2

b. The man was watched t with a

telescope (by Mary).

*Meaning 1, Meaning 2