ON THERE-PASSIVE PARTICIPLE CONSTRUCTIONS

The main purpose of this paper is to criticise an analysis of (eventive) there-passive participle constructions (There were three people arrested) as regular passives, that is as constructions with an original [Prt(pass)P-DP] order, where DP occupies the so-called Thematization/Extraction position. I use evidence as based on (a) interpretive properties, (b) constituent extraction, and (c) the syntax of auxiliaries in order to show that there-passive participle constructions are existential constructions where DP occupies a more central position than the participle. More specifically, following the approach to expletive constructions provided in Hazout (2004), I argue that the DP is the core predicate of a small clause construct, and that Prt(pass)P occupies the position of adjunct predicate to the small clause. Eventive there-passive participle constructions are distinguished both syntactically and from an interpretive perspective not only from sentential passives, but also from non-eventive there-passive participle constructions.