11 Case 2015

7/26/2019 11 Case 2015

http://slidepdf.com/reader/full/11-case-2015 1/3

Grammar I Graciela Palacio

LV/UB 2012(revised 2015)

LESSON 11

CASE:

Consider the following sentence:

The woman illed the ro!!er"

Kill is a two#$lace %er!" It taes two arg&ments 'the woman and the robber ( and one

com$lement 'the robber (" The two arg&ments are determiner $hrases" )ithin the framewor

of Generati%e Grammar* all o%ert 'i"e" e+$licit( determiner $hrases m&st ha%e case, abstract

case" B&t what is case, -!stract case is a &ni%ersal $ro$ert. of determiner $hrases" Case is a

$ro$ert. that has to do with the wa. the $hrase is $rono&nced according to its distri!&tion in

the sentence" In nglish* howe%er* this !ecomes e%ident onl. if we re$lace the determiner

$hrase !. a $rono&n" Consider the following e+am$les:

The woman illed the ro!!er"

She illed him"

The ro!!er illed the woman"

He illed her"

In the first sentence* the first determiner $hrase the woman and the $rono&n she are said to !e

in the nominative case1

" The second determiner $hrase the robber and the $rono&n him aresaid to !e in the accsative case2"

In the second sentence* the order of the constit&ents has !een re%ersed" ow the robber/he

a$$ear in the nominative case* and the woman/her in the accsative case"

In the case of the determiner $hrases the woman and the robber, case is not o%ertl. mared so

the two determiner $hrases seem to !e the same* irres$ecti%e of the $osition that the. ha%e in

the sentence"

In the case of the $rono&ns* the $ron&nciation %aries o%ertl. ' she %s" her and he %s" him("

There are lang&ages where determiner $hrases which are not $rono&ns also ha%e an o%ertmanifestation of case"

- third case form fo&nd in nglish determiner $hrases is the !enitive case* e"g":

The man’s wife illed the ro!!er"

His wife illed the ro!!er"

1

-lso called sb"ective case"2 -lso called ob"ective case" -lso called #ossessive case"

Page 1 of /Lesson 11

7/26/2019 11 Case 2015


-s the e+am$les a!o%e ill&strate* the distinction !etween nominati%e* acc&sati%e and geniti%e

cases is o%ert 'i"e" e+$licit( in nglish in the $rono&n s.stem" Geniti%e case is also o%ert in

the case of determiner $hrases which are not $rono&ns" It is o%ertl. mared !. means of –’s.

$o sm #: -s was said a!o%e* a!stract case is a &ni%ersal $ro$ert. of determiner $hrases"

owe%er* the o%ert reali3ation of a!stract case !. means of mor$hological case %aries cross#ling&isticall. 'i"e" from lang&age to lang&age("

4eterminer $hrases ha%e %eatres:

1& #erson %eatres:

first $erson '1 Per(

second $erson '2 Per(

third $erson ' Per(

2& nmber %eatres:

singular '5g(

plural 'Pl(

'& ender %eatres:

masculine '6asc(

feminine '7em(

common 'Com(

neuter 'e&ter(

& Case %eatres:

nominative 'om(

accusative '-cc(

genitive 'Gen(

7eat&res in the $rono&n s.stem:

*erson+Nmber+ender Nominative Accsative enitive enitive

1 Per* 5g"

Common G:

I me mine m.

2 Per* 5g"

Common gender

.o& .o& .o&rs .o&r

Per* 5g"6asc&line

he him his his

Per* 5g"

7eminine

she her hers her

Per* 5g"

e&tre G:

it it its Its

1 Per* Pl

Common G

we &s o&rs o&r

2 Per* Pl

Common G

.o& .o& .o&rs .o&r

Per* Pl

Common G

the. them theirs their

Page 2 of /Lesson 11

7/26/2019 11 Case 2015


otice that in the case of the second $erson you nominati%e and acc&sati%e ha%e the same

form" The same ha$$ens in the case of the third $erson sing&lar it "

- determiner $hrase is %al&ed as nominative !. a %inite tense eement" - determiner $hrase

is %al&ed as accsative !. a transitive %er! or !. a #re#osition" - determiner $hrase is

mared as !enitive !. the determiner which is the head of the 4P where the $ossessi%e or geniti%e occ&rs"

Lesson 11 Activit- 1: 'to !e handed in as Assi!nment 11(

)hat is the case of the &nderlined 4Ps,

1" I thin that he is innocent"

2" I thin him innocent"

" The woman !elie%ed that the man was innocent"

8" The woman !elie%ed the man innocent"

9" The woman !elie%ed him innocent"

" er sister raised her"

; 7;C5:

aegeman* L" '1<<8( Introduction to overnment and !inding Theory* 2nd ed" Blacwell"

Page of /Lesson 11

Documents

11 Case 2015