Indirect Objects Might as Well Be UFOs Unidentified

Indirect Objects Might as Well Be UFOs, Unidentified Flying Objects

Traditionally • • Indirect objects NP are “second objects” Show up canonically in PP After direct object NPs A direct object must be present In order for an indirect object to occur Mere directional result is not enough I. e. , the thing referred to by the DO NP ending up somewhere else

Always Recipients • Indirect objects always bear the semantic role, recipient • In the sentence, We sailed our boat to Tobolsk • Tobolsk is not a recipient; it’s a goal or destination • However, Portly Uncle Anthony sent D. C. the results of his study • Recipients don’t have to be “sentient” • Portly Uncle Anthony is going to give “a lick and a promise” to his apartment • Apartment is not sentient, yet it’s a recipient

Recipient Role Mandated by Verb • Recipient role seems to be mandated by verb choice • Verbs of giving • Verbs of communication • Verbs of wishing • Verbs of intention • Can take IO

Examples of Those Verbs of Communication Wishing, intending, Causing • WJC meant no harm to those women • I wish all possible success to the guitar hero contestants Verbs in “giving expressions • The accident caused a lot of trouble for the travelers • The third-year students sent – When of course, portly Anton $75 to AA for his campaign Avgustovich fell off the • JB gave a rose to Violet ladder… • Uncle Anton bought a bulichka for Irina • Elvis told ghost stories to the campers • Mama read stories to the children

Recipient NPs in Subject Position? • Can’t grammatically function as IO • Since they are functioning as subjects, right? • Violet got a letter from JB • We received the news of the guitar player’s success

Need not be Tangible • NPs can bear the semantic role RECIPIENT • Even if what is received isn’t tangible • Stories • Success • Harm • Trouble

Positioning Post-verbal In PP phase • JB gave Violet Roses • JB gave roses [PP to violet] • Lydia left a lot of money [PP to her niece] • The 3 rd year students offered a reward [PP to the butler, Anton Avgustovich] – How funny… • Lydia left her niece a lot of money • The 3 rd year students offered the butler, Anton Avgustovich, a reward

Tentative Definition of IO: • An indirect object NP is one • which appears in immediate post-verbal position or in a PP headed by to or for within V , • And refers to an entity which receives something • This definition is iffy at best

Prepositions in IO Constructions • Almost always to, for • However, there a handful of IO expressions • That contain other prepositions • Lydia asked a question of the teacher • Or its paraphrase • Lydia asked the teacher a question

What if …? By movement of the NP from its PP position To its new immediately post-verbal position • Invoke the metaphors of “underlying structure (US)” and “derivation” • In US, IOs occur in canonical PP position • JB gave roses [PP to violet] • A sentence where the original IO NP occurs as the first NP in a double object construction • JB gave Violet Roses • We say that IO is “derived”

Can We Do That? • The result? • NP changes grammatical relation • From IO to DO • Movement also shifts original DO to the position of original IO • They trade places • The original DO is “demoted” • Now it has no relation to verb

One Can Only Bear So Much! A simple sentence can generally have no more than one NP bearing a given grammatical relation JB However: Roses were given Violet by JB Violet

So, Why Not Just Dispense with Them? • What then should we call Recipient NP in double-object constructions? • Since all NPs that function such bear the semantic role: RECIPIENT • Why even have the grammatical relation/part of speech label? – “Well, because of the rap song, Mr. Samples – “Samuels…Mr. Samuels. A. A. Samuels • If you attended class regularly, you know the following facts:

Subject: First NP to the Left of VP, …generally • Generally, the Subject NP is the first • To the left of the VP • Provided that the NP is dominated by the top S

Common Grammatical Characteristics • Other common grammatical characteristics of English Subjects: • Subjects govern verb agreement • Subjects are the antecedents for their pronouns in tag questions • • Guzzy chases mice Kittens chase mice I am a beer drinker. You are a vodka drinker. • Violet is a kifer drinker. • We are juice drinkers

Tag Questions • Elvis poured Violet some tea, didn’t he? • This tea even Violet would drink, wouldn’t she? • Tea is what Violet likes, isn’t it?

A Direct Object NP is the first NP to the right of the verb, provided that NP is immediately dominated by V (V bar) and can be passivized

Back to Ios: What’s in a Label? • Little seems to follow from bearing the IO label • That doesn’t follow from bearing the semantic role (RECIPIENT) label • Post verbal? No! Not specific • How about “the existence of a paraphrase relation between PP and double object construction? ” • Nope! Won’t work

Verbs Taking IOs in PPs, but No Paraphrase • The Rolling Stones donated $1 Million to Tyumgu’s burgeoning guitar players • WJC described the situation to Elvis • Portly Anton Avgustovich explained the thorny grammar issue to the class. • *The Rolling Stones donated Tyumgu’s burgeoning guitar players $1 Million • *WJC described Elvis the situation • *Portly Anton Avgustovich explained the class thorny grammar issue

He’s leaving the building…It’s a done deal… SO, CALLING AN NP IN A PP AN INDIRECT OBJECT HAS NO REAL PREDICTIVE VALUE

• From the other direction, also, grammatical property won’t work • That affair cost WJC the election • WJC is said to function as a recipient • Expected paraphrase containing WJC in a post DO PP doesn’t exist! • *That affair cost the election to WJC Oops, That Won’t Work…

Consequently, we’d better give that Grammar Rap song a Makeover • Consequently, the idea that the grammatical Relation • Indirect Object (IO) • Can be dispensed with altogether for English • Makes sense