Event Structure and Phrase Structure

Abstract

In this chapter, I investigate what parts of semantic structure-in particular event structure-can be mapped onto the parts of the VP. In the interest of determining how (well) the articulated VP fits into semantic notions, I look more carefully at uses of Inner Aspect. I begin the chapter by providing a brief overview of some treatments of event structure and VP structure in order to show how simplifying representation in the semantic component while enriching structure in the syntactic component allows for a more straightforward mapping from one to the other. The mapping of certain semantic components of event structure to the syntactic structure has become an active subdomain of syntax and here I present my own view. My claim is that the components necessary to compute the Vendler predicate classes are represented in a predictable way in the configuration and features of phrase structure.