Constraints on Middle Formation

Sarah M B Fagan

An investigation of the properties of verbs & arguments that are crucial in the formation of English middles (eg, This book reads easily). It is argued - contrary to a currently held view - that the notion of affected argument does not adequately characterize the class of verbs that appear in middles. The verbs that undergo middle formation are subject to two restrictions that do not depend on the notion of affected argument: (1) only the aspectual classes of activities & accomplishments may undergo middle formation, & (2) only those verbs whose objects are perceived as responsible for the action denoted by the verb may appear in middles. These two constraints on middle formation account for all cases that the notion of affected argument has successfully accounted for, & some that it cannot account for. These constraints work independently: French middles are subject to the second constraint but not the first; verbs from all aspectual classes can appear in French middles. This difference between English & French middles is attributed to differences in the aspectual properties of middles in the two languages. English middles attribute properties to objects; they cannot be used to describe events. French middles can describe events as well as properties. English middles are thus aspectually restricted & so are the verbs that undergo middle formation. French middles are aspectually unrestricted; the verbs that undergo middle formation in French are also aspectually unrestricted. 15 References. AA

Constraints on Middle Formation

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