Blocking effects in the double object construction
Blocking effects in the double object construction

Summary/Abstract: In this paper we examine the contrast between the morpho-syntactic properties of the two objects in the double object construction and the prepositional dative construction. The intriguing properties of the indirect object in the double object construction (DOC) are explained by hypothesizing that (i) the English morphological poverty of case marking on objects has blocking effects on A’ movements of the two objects in the DOC, and (ii) blocking A’ movement of the two objects in the DOC vs. non-blocking A’ movement of the two objects in the prepositional dative construction have to do with neutralisation of meaning of the two dative constructions.

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