A Study on the Empty Categories in Conceptual Structure

Inoue（2001 a，B）提出概念结构中存在两种空范畴：（i）α，β，γ.和（ii）φ。前者类似于PRO_<obl>，因为它强制性地需要一个先行词，而后者类似于PRO_<arb>，因为它不需要特定的引用。这个研究项目的目的是双重的。一是通过对英语中的发音动词、带to不定式补语的动词force和promise以及中动结构的分析来论证这些范畴的存在。二是探讨这些范畴与句法范畴之间的关系。关于发声动词，基于这些空范畴的分析，这些动作动词可以被表示为因果事件，从而可以解释这些动词与可选源/目标表达的发生，这些动词与其对应的同源宾语的关系，并给出一个V构式等。到不定式补语的主语和宾语控制现象，迄今为止都是在句法层面上研究的，可以用空范畴（i）的分析方法来处理.从空范畴（ii）的角度对中间结构进行分析，不仅可以解释该结构的类属性、静态性和受影响条件等各种性质，还可以解释相关结构（例如“伪中间结构”）。“4.关于这两个范畴与句法范畴的关系，这些研究导致了以下假设：句法层面上的强制性和选择性控制现象分别构成语义层面上涉及范畴（i）和（ii）的现象的子集。

It is proposed in Inoue (2001a, b) that there are two kinds of empty categories in conceptual structure : (i)α, β, γ... and (ii)φ. The former is like PRO_<obl> in that it obligatorily requires an antecedent, while the latter is like PRO_<arb> in that it requires no specific reference. The purpose of this research project is twofold. One is to argue for the presence of these categories in terms of the analyses of English sound emission verbs, verbs force and promise with to-infinitive complements and middle verb construction. The other is to explore the relationship between these categories and the syntactic ones.The results obtained through this research project are the following :1. Regarding sound emission verbs, these action verbs can be represented as causal events in terms of the analysis based on these empty categories, thereby making it possible to account for the occurrence of these verbs with optional Source/Goal expressions, the relationships of these verbs to their corresponding cognate object and give a V constructions, etc.2. The subject and object control phenomena of the to-infinitive complements, hitherto investigated on the syntactic level, can appropriately be dealt with in terms of the analysis employing empty category (i).3. The analysis of the middle construction in terms of empty category (ii) can not only account for the various properties of the construction including its genericity, stativity and affectedness condition but also related constructions such as "pseudo-middles."4. Regarding the relationship of these two categories to the syntactic ones, these investigations lead to the following assumption that obligatory and optional control phenomena on the syntactic level constitute subsets of the phenomena involving categories (i) and (ii), respectively on the semantic level.