The Category P Features, Projections, Interpretation

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the properties of e-Ns, their resistance to pluralize (additional properties of e-Ns
relevant for the present discussion will be mentioned as we proceed). 4
(3) a. mezeg ha-avir kaše le-xizuy/*taxazit
the-weather [is] difficult to-predicting/[a weather] report
b. ha-te’orya kala li-vdika/*vdikot
the-theory [is] easy to-examination/examinations
e-Ns are argued in Grimshaw (1990) to be derived from the corresponding verbs
by the suppression of the external argument (Agent), and to have a particular array of
properties. In what follows I will show that although the nominal introduced by le- in
object gap constructions is an e-N, it fails to exhibit some of the properties typical of
e-Ns.
5.2.1 Obligatory indefiniteness
Grimshaw (1990) observes that e-Ns in English occur either with a definite
article or with no article at all, namely they do not occur with the indefinite article a.
Hebrew, unlike English, does not have an indefinite article, only the definite one ha-
(‘the’). Nevertheless, the contrast between Hebrew e-Ns not included in the lenominal
sequence of object gap constructions and those which are, is still very clear.
The former can occur rather freely either with the definite marker ha- (‘the’) or
without it (4), but e-Ns of object gap constructions occur obligatorily without it (5)
(Engelhardt 1998):
(4) (ha)-harisa šel batim yešanim/ha-batim ha-yešanim…
(the)-destruction of houses old/the-houses the-old
“(the) destruction of old houses/the old houses…”
(5) ha-sefer kaše li-kri’a/*la-kri’a
the-book difficult to-reading/to+the-reading
Therefore, in what follows, I simplify Grimshaw’s terminology, and refer only to the argument taking
nominals as e(vent)-nominals.
4 The examples are either adopted or adapted from Engelhardt 1998.