78 ROBERT D. VAN VALIN, JR.
If one of the argument positions were filled by a WH-word, then it
would appear in the PCS. This is a language-specific rule, as there are many
languages in which WH-words appear in the same position in a clause as
their non-WH NP counterparts. Assignment to the PCS is carried out after
pivot selection, that is, after the step that yields (65); it is (65) that the case
marking and agreement rules of English refer to. The result of having WH-
words in the various argument positions is given in (67).
(67) a. [C1 [PCS Who] [c [N presented] the spatula to Larry]]?
b· lei [pes Who] [c [N was presented] with the spatula] <— [p by
Maria]]?
c· tei [pes What] did [c Maria [N present] to Larry]]?
d· [ci [pes Who] did [c Maria [N present] the spatula to]]?
The linking procedure as described thus far applies to virtually all syn
tactically accusative languages, with the exception of the case marking
rules, which are language specific. It works for Icelandic, for example, just
as in English. This is illustrated by the sentences in (68) and the linking
diagram in Figure 18.
(68) a. Jón tók bókina.
John(N) took.3sG the.book(A)
"John took the book."
b. Bókin var tekin af Jóni.
the.book(N) was.3sG taken by John(ö)
"The book was taken by John."
taka "take": [do'(x)] CAUSE [BECOME have'(y,z)], x=y
When a single participant appears in more than one argument position in a
LS, as in [do'(x)] CAUSE [BECOME have' (x,y)] "take" as in (68c) or