Multiple Agree to Double Objects in English

In this paper the structures of double object constructions are considered through the several data, especially English, French, and German. I will show differences among them and present the different Case assignment of them The two following issues are reviewed with regard to the double object constructions: (1) Do all the double object constructions have the same structures? (2) How can the features of the two arguments in the double object construction can be checked under the minimalist theory?Question (1) has an answer. Through the examples on the double object constructions in German, we can find two kinds of double object constructions. One is the dative-accusative argument structure and the other is double accusative argument structure. The latter is the same structure with English double object constructions. I will show each structure and its derivations based on the minimalist theory. For the question (2), there is a DP unit in English double object constructions. I will assume this DP unit appears just in the double object constructions which don't have any inherent Dative Case. I will prove that a DP unit can appear in the double object constructions which just have structural accusative arguments. The features of the two arguments in the DP unit can be matched and agreed with a ditransitive verb containing [+multiple uCase], a multiple uninterpretable and valued Accusative Case feature, under the Multiple Agree by the Generalised One-Fell Swoop Principle. On the other hand, the double object construction that has the dative-accusative argument structure does not allow Multiple Agree. The indirect argument is assigned an inherent dative Case from the verb containing an inherent dative Case. That is the why that, in the passive sentence, the indirect object containing the inherent Case still keeps the dative Case in the subject position. However, in the same passivisation, the two arguments in the DP unit are assigned the structural nominal Cases from the functional category T under the Multiple Match and Agree. Based on the locality principle, the first argument, indirect object, moves to the subject position. All these differences come from the different Case checking in the different structures of double object constructions.