Resumen de Extented Argument Structure: Progressive as Unaccusative

Jaume Mateu Fontanals , Laia Amadas Simón

• Our lexical relational analysis of the progressive construction is based on Mateu's (1999) theory of Relational Semantics. Drawing empirical evidence from cross-linguistic studies, we argue that the progressive involves a nominalization process that joins a locative unaccusative structure and the argument structure corresponding to the lexical verb. As a result, the unspecified Ground of the unaccusative structure in which the Figure is "centrally located" turns out to be the entire event coded by the lexical verb. Furthermore, a structurally-based solution of the so-called "Imperfective Paradox" is then pursued. Empirical evidence in favor of our analysis of the progressive is also shown to come from "thematically transparent" languages like Basque, where a different argument structure involves a different case assignment.