On English Gerundive Constructions: A Constraint-Based Lexical Approach

In this paper, we support Malouf’s (1998) proposal that there be an independent syntactic category, gerund. In terms of the type hierarchy of syntactic categories, it is possible to say that the category gerund belongs both to a verbal category and to a nominal category without being either a verb or a noun. On the other hand, we attempt to modify Malouf’s analysis of certain control and raising verbs which require gerundive complements. Under his analysis, an NP and a gerundive construction that follow a control or raising verb must always constitute a GP (Gerundive Phrase). However, in addition to those cases, we show that there are cases in which the two elements must not constitute a GP; they are separate parts of a VP, together with the preceding head daughter. Our analysis is based on the possibility of passivizing the NP occurring before the gerundive complement. We also show that the unexpressed subject of a gerundive phrase is systematically identifiable under our analysis, without adding anything to the present control theory.