Passive

We examine whether passive by-phrases in Greek and English are merged as adjuncts or arguments. We present new evidence from reflexive binding in support of the latter view and we examine the consequences of this finding for previous proposals bearing on passive morphology, the typology of Voice heads, the position in which the external argument is introduced (Spec of little v or Voice), questions regarding the theta-role interpretation of argument XPs and whether theta-role interpretation is determined by the position these XPs occupy in the syntax or by semantic operations.

We show that external arguments are projected in the Greek and English passive as implicit arguments. Nevertheless, they are pronouns of different types.