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Instead, Collins proposes the structure for passive sentences that is shown in (513)<br />

(adapted from Collins 2005):<br />

(513)<br />

subjectj<br />

Part<br />

IP<br />

I<br />

PartPi<br />

Vk en<br />

Part'<br />

I'<br />

VoiceP<br />

VP<br />

tj V'<br />

In Collins' analysis, by is the head <strong>of</strong> VoiceP rather than <strong>of</strong> a prepositional phrase. This<br />

fact explains its distribution because, as the realization <strong>of</strong> a passive voice head, it may<br />

only occur in passive sentences. Since the agent phrase in this passive structure is merged<br />

as the external argument <strong>of</strong> the verb, the agent theta role is assigned to the same position<br />

(spec vP) in both active <strong>and</strong> passive sentences, which means that UTAH is not violated.<br />

Finally, Collins proposes that accusative case is dissociated from v <strong>and</strong> somehow moves<br />

to the Voice head so that the agent phrase receives accusative case from the Voice head<br />

by. Therefore–en does not absorb accusative case.<br />

tk<br />

Voice<br />

by<br />

Voice'<br />

agent<br />

vP<br />

v'<br />

v ti<br />

Another important feature <strong>of</strong> Collins' analysis is the movement <strong>of</strong> PartP to the<br />

specifier <strong>of</strong> VoiceP. Because accusative case is assigned by Voice to the DP occupying<br />

215

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