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Grammar Squib - The Complex Passive in Danish

Revision as of 15:07, 5 June 2010 by Signe Rix Berthelin (Talk | contribs) (Complex Passives in Danish)

Complex Passives in Danish

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Differences between complex passives in Norwegian and Danish

In Norwegian the active participles used in complex passives have the same argument structure as their corresponding nominal modifiers. Løpt as a two-place predicate occurs in complex passive constructions and as a pre-nominal modifier in Norwegian. The intransitive verb løpt does neither occur as pre-nominal modifier, nor in complex passives.

Participles in the Danish complex passives are always past participles, and they do not occur as pre-nominal modifiers. The Danish intransitive løbet can be used in a complex passive construction, but it never occurs as a pre-nominal modifier. Further, I doubt that a Danish two place predicate like løbet is allowed in complex passives, unless the DIR-argument is a predicate itself with its own argument structure.


Norwegian: løpt [AGENT,DIR] løpt [AGENT]

Danish: løbet [AGENT,DIR] løbet [AGENT]


In Norwegian, participles based on unaccusative verbs are allowed in complex passive constructions. This is not the case in Danish.