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2.4.1. Empirical Problems
The theory presented in the preceding sections essentially tries to derive Burzio's
Generalization by assuming that Spec of INFL always has to contain a member of a CHAIN, so
that the absence of an EA will force the object to become a member of such a CHAIN. Assuming
that in the absence of a projected EA the object is always the candidate chosen, this theory
covers all cases that BG is intended to cover. This theory, however, makes a prediction which
goes beyond BG: even in cases where BG is not at stake, the theory advanced above predicts
that an INFL-CHAIN must be formed. Now consider a case where there is no EA and none of
the internal Arguments apparently enters a CHAIN. Such cases are found in German with verbs
like schwindeln ('to feel dizzy') or grauen ('to be afraid'), in which AGR is not coindexed with
any Argument (see 0; the examples are taken from Cardinaletti (1990)):
(28) a. dass (es) mir schwindelt
that (it) me-DAT is-dizzy
'that I feel dizzy'
b. dass (es) mir davor graut
that (it) me-DAT it-of fears
'that I am afraid of it'
These constructions do not (necessarily) violate BG, since there is neither EA nor
Accusative. 23 But they seem to falsify the claim, essential to the theory above, that there is
always an INFL-CHAIN containing an Argument, unless we assume that oblique Arguments
23 Some verbs of this kind subcategorize for an Accusative:
(i) dass (es) mich dürstet
that (it) me-ACC is-thirsty
This is not necessarily in violation of BG, if we assume
that this Accusative is inherent and, on the other hand, BG is
only concerned with structural Case. German abides by BG in the
general case.
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