Verb Types(73) vP
DP v'
Pete v VP
e DP V'
the letter V
posted
Again, if this were the final analysis of the construction we would derive the wrong
order with the verb following its object. Once again, however, we might assume that
the main verb raises to the light verb, presumably because of its bound morpheme
status:
(74) vP
DP v'
Pete v VP
posted 1 v DP V'
e the letter V
t 1
Thus the transitive receives the same analysis as the causative construction, which is
not surprising as causatives are the transitive use of ergative verbs.
What is the light verb in this case and how is the main verb related to the subject?
We might try the assumption that the empty light verb in this case is the same as the
one in causative constructions. From this point of view we would have the following
correspondence:
(75) a Mark made the bed = Mark made the bed be made
b Harry hit Bill = Harry made Bill be hit
c Richard wrote the letter = Richard made the letter be written
But while the transitive statements in (75) do entail the relevant causative, in that if
Mark makes the bed, then the bed comes to be made and Mark had a hand in causing
this to come about, the two are not exactly the same. Particularly, it is not only the case
that subjects in (75) caused the event described by the verb to take place, but that the
subjects are the ones who actually did it! In other words, these subjects are not just
agents, they are agents of the relevant predicates. This might therefore argue that the
relevant structure should be: