Difference between revisions of "Grammar Squib - The Complex Passive in Danish"

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Complex Passives in Danish

Bibliography:

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.

Bibliography:

Lars Hellan, L., 2001. Complex Passive Constructions in Norwegian, Manuscript, NTNU. Ørsnes, B., 2006. Creating Raising Verbs - An LFG-analysis of the Complex Passive in Danish, CSLI online publications.