Conflict resolution in passive formation

Abstract

In this paper we will argue that a typology of passive formation can be derived from the optimality-theoretic interaction between three well-known constraints. These are the Extended Projection Principle (VP must have a subject), Stay (do not move) and Parse (elements from the input should occur in the output). The analysis will not only account for different forms of passives (personal passives versus impersonal passives) but also for languages which lack passives (of certain verbs or altogether). To account for this we employ the socalled null parse, a candidate without structure.