Verb Typesconstruction in their ‘transitive’ use. Indeed, ergative verbs themselves are identical to
unaccusatives, even in causative constructions as it is the causative light verb which
supplies the extra agent argument and the causative interpretation. For this reason,
many linguists refer to these kinds of verbs as unaccusatives. However, it still remains
that there are differences between the unaccusative verbs we reviewed above and the
ergative verbs reviewed in this section. For a start, ergatives cannot appear in the there
constructions and unaccusatives cannot appear in causative constructions:
(60) a there rolled a ball across the pitch
b there broke a glass in the cupboard
(61) a Andrew arrived the letter
b Lucy lived Ian in Scotland
It seems then that there is a complementary distribution between these verb types.
How are we to explain this? Complementary distribution patterns appear when two
elements of the same type try to occupy the same position: we can have one or the
other, but not both. In the causative construction, we know that there is a light verb
above the VP headed by the ergative. Could there possibly be a light verb above the
unaccusative VP in the there construction?
In order to evaluate this suggestion, let us consider the properties of the there
construction. The most obvious property is the fact that in this construction the subject
position is taken by there. This is a meaningless subject that bears no thematic role.
Such things are often called pleonastic or expletive subjects and their function seems
to be to act as a ‘place holder’ for the subject when no thematic element will occupy
this position. For example, consider the following:
(62) a Tim 1 seems [t 1 to be tall]
b it seems [that Tim is tall]
This is a case of raising, as introduced in chapter 3. In (62a) the subject of the
lower clause is raised into the subject position of the raising verb seem, demonstrating
that this position must have been empty at D-structure. In (62b), however, the thematic
subject of the lower clause does not move out of this clause. In this case the subject
position is filled by another expletive element it. It would be ungrammatical for this
position to be left empty, an indication that all English sentences must have subjects
regardless of whether one is semantically demanded or not. We will return to this
observation in the next chapter. Note however that this expletive subject differs from
the one used in there constructions, though their function (to fill a vacant subject
position) seems to be similar. It would be ungrammatical to use a there in raising
structures and it in there constructions:
(63) a there seems [that Tim is tall]
b it arrived a letter
This observation clearly calls out for an explanation. Another thing in need of
explanation is the fact the post-verbal theme obviously receives Case in this position
and does not have to move to subject position. It seems that this fact goes hand in hand
with the presence of the there subject as, in its absence, the theme must move to the