Wh-extraction in English Ditransitives: an Event Structure Approach

Abstract

This paper investigates wh-extraction contrast observed between English canonical double object construction (DOC) ditransitives and Personal Dative (PD) ditransitives. Wh-DO extraction is possible out of canonical DOC ditransitives but not out of PD ditransitives. I show that syntactic locality alone cannot explain the contrast, and propose an event structure approach on the basis of Truswell’s (2007, 2008, 2010, 2011) idea of Single Event Condition. Wh-extraction of DO is legitimate in canonical DOC ditransitives as they satisfy the Single Event Condition, whereas it is illegitimate in PD ditransitives as they have bi-eventive meaning. Wh-dependency formation cannot be described in syntactic terms only; it is also partially subject to semantic well-formedness condition that relates to event structures.