Basic English Grammar with Exercises

Suggested Answers and Hints - Chapter 6

d) In the sentence John sank Jim’s boat the theme argument is in the specifier of
the VP, while the agent occupies the specifier of the vP in the D-structure. In the S-
structure, the agent DP has to move to a position where Case can be assigned to it.
This position is the specifier of IP. The main verb sink has to move as well since the
abstract light verb e is a bound morpheme, which requires the main verb to move to v,
tense v and then to I.

(4) CP

C'

C IP

DP 1 I'

John I vP

sank 2 v'

v vP

t 2 t 1 v'

v VP

t 2 DP V'

Jim’s boat V

t 2