The so-called serial verb construction (SVC) is a complex predicate structure consisting of two or more verbal heads but denotes one single event. This paper discusses the grammatical properties of Korean SVCs and provides a lexicalist, construction-based analysis couched in the typed-feature structure grammar, HPSG. In particular, we identify four different types of the SVCs in Korean, each of which has its own idiosyncrasies while sharing general properties with the others, and show that the argument composition in the SVCs happens in syntax, controlled by constructional constraints.
1. Introduction
2. Grammatical Properties of the SVCs
3. Types of Serial Verb Constructions
4. Grammar Rules and Constructional Constraints
5. Conclusion