Derived Arguments

The distinction between arguments and adjuncts is fundamental to most linguistic theories, yet the distinction is not always clear. In addition to clear arguments and clear adjuncts, there are a number of unclear, in-between cases. These cases include passive agents, benefactives, directionals, and a number of other types of phrases. We argue that the in-between status of the unclear cases can be explained if they are analyzed as derived arguments; i.e., arguments that are added to verbs at the grammatical level of argument structure.