earticle

영어

In the recent linguistic literature regarding Case assignment, the Nominate Case is assigned in a specifier -head relationship( between I and spec IP) and accusative (direct object) Case assignment takes place in a head-complement relationship (between V and its sister DP). Dative case (Indirect object), however, has no place to be assigned in this structural configuration. English Indirect object as a nonstructural case is licensed in connection with θ-marking. In this respect this study is aimed to argue that the nonstructural case is licensed at argument structure, vP-structure in terms of an initial level where θ-marking and nonstructural case licensing take place. This level is the first one prior to structural case licensing. It is also pointed out that dative case as indirect object is licensed only by light v heads.