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3. NOMINAL COMPLEMENTATION AND ARGUMENT STRUCTURE<br />

subjects can be found on both sides (see [85a] and [85b]), and there is even one instance of<br />

an objective PossP (see [86]).<br />

(85) a. (…) I wolde vpon the Kynges gracious licence or rather…<br />

(Lettpri 200:77)<br />

b. (…) as well all the remenaunt as the mayden her selfe in the<br />

presence// of all the company… (Heresies 93: 28)<br />

(86) The brother hath bene the brothers bane. (History1 41: 26)<br />

Altenberg (1982: 125) points out that, in the 17 th century, the selection between<br />

PossPs and of-PPs is a matter of stylistic preference. Thus, whereas PossPs are the<br />

preferred option in non-religious prose, they are avoided in religious texts.<br />

3.3.2.2. By-phrases<br />

As in the case of clauses with two-argument or transitive verbs, arguments in an NP can be<br />

reorganized by a process analogous to passivization (Haegeman and Guéron 1999: 414).<br />

(87a) below illustrates an active clause whereas (87b) is its passive counterpart. In turn,<br />

(87c) and (87d) represent the nominalizations of (87a) and (87b), respectively. In (87c),<br />

the external argument of the NP, i.e. the subject, is realized by the PossP Rembrandt’s,<br />

whereas the internal argument, the patient, is realized by the of-PP of Saskia. Instance<br />

(87d) is an example of a NP in which the internal argument of the noun is realized by the<br />

PossP Saskia’s functioning as pre-head dependent, while the external argument is realized<br />

by a by-phrase, namely by Rembrandt. As happens in passive sentences (cf. [87e] below),<br />

the external argument in the passivized nominal projection is not obligatory (cf. [87f]):<br />

(87) a. Rembrandt painted Saskia.<br />

b. Saskia was painted by Rembrand.<br />

c. Rembrandt’s picture of Saskia<br />

d. Saskia’s picture by Rembrandt<br />

e. Saskia has been painted very often.<br />

f. Saskia’s picture hangs on the wall.<br />

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