Passivization and composite A/Ā-movement in the Mandarin BEI-construction

Abstract

The bei-construction in Mandarin is a well-studied construction known for exhibiting both passive-like properties and tough-movement-like properties (see e.g., Feng 1995, 2012; Ting 1995a, 1998; Huang 1999; Tang 2001; Huang et al. 2009; Bruening and Tran 2015; a.o.). In this paper, I argue for a novel analysis of the bei-construction in Mandarin as a passive construction where the passive head/bei hosts a composite probe [ϕ+Ā], which triggers composite A/Ā-movement, in the sense of Van Urk (2015). The subject in the bei-construction is derived via (successive-cyclic) composite A/Ā-movement, followed by a terminating step of A-movement, similar to Longenbaugh’s (2017) analysis of English tough-movement. Under the proposed analysis, the mixed A/Ā-properties associated with the bei-construction are direct consequences of composite A/Ā-movement (following Van Urk 2015; Longenbaugh 2017). The proposed analysis of the bei-construction accounts for two restrictions on long-distance dependencies in the bei-construction – a requirement that no overt, case-less NPs should intervene between the subject of bei and the gap in agent-less bei-constructions, and a subject/object contrast with respect to the possibility of crossing a finite clause boundary to become the subject of bei.