This study investigates the syntactic and semantic similarities among three classes of causative verbs in European Portuguese (EP): Type A causatives (deixar, fazer, mandar), Type B causatives (deixar a, pôr a), and a subset of object control verbs (obrigar, forçar, impedir). The research focuses on how these verbs, while sharing a superficially similar structure, exhibit distinct syntactic behaviors and implicative interpretations, particularly in their interaction with infinitives and argument structures.

Using a comparative analysis, the authors highlight that Type A causatives typically maintain a nominative case for their second determiner phrase (DP2), while Type B causatives and object control verbs often exhibit an accusative case. The study reveals that implicative object control verbs entail the truth of their complements under positive polarity, contrasting with non-implicative verbs. This implicative reading is crucial for understanding the syntactic structures involved, suggesting that these verbs may not be truly ditransitive but rather align more closely with syntactic causatives.

The findings have significant implications for theories of syntax and semantics, particularly in relation to causative constructions and control mechanisms. By clarifying the distinctions between these verb classes, the study contributes to a deeper understanding of argument structure in EP, which can inform future research in language technology, translation, and communication science.

Source: dx.doi.org