Abstract

A hallmark of the English verb lexicon is the availability of multiple argument realization options for many English verbs. Studies of the English verb lexicon have drawn attention to one facet of this phenomenon: the availability of a range of object alternations (Levin 1993)—alternate realizations of the VP-internal arguments of apparently triadic verbs. One of the best-known of these alternations is the locative alternation, which comes in “putting ” and “removing ” subtypes, as illustrated in (1) and (2). (1) Locative Alternation — “putting ” subtype: a. Jill sprayed paint on the wall. b. Jill sprayed the wall with paint. (2) Locative Alternation — “removing ” subtype: a. Jack wiped crumbs off the counter. b. Jack wiped the counter. There are many studies of object alternations, particularly the locative and dative alternations, yet few of them consider the full spectrum of object alternations,

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