Some Interface Properties of the Phase

2000, 2001); and to use this evidence to investigate the extensional definition of a phase. Chomsky (2000) states that CP is a phase, whereas TP is not, and (transitive) vP is a phase, whereas passive and unaccusative verb phrases (VP) are not. 1 I argue here that unaccusative and passive VPs are phases as well. Before turning to the arguments for phases, let us consider how they are used in Chomsky’s system. 2 A phase is a self-contained subsection of the derivation, beginning with a numeration and ending with Spell-Out. At the point of Spell-Out, the complement of the phase-defining head phase is sent to each of the PF and LF components for interpretation. Thus, after construction of the vP phase, VP…