The Category P Features, Projections, Interpretation

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.
The ECM/Raising SCs differ substantially from the object gap constructions.
(i) The nominal following le-, although undeniably non-argumental (see (B.2)), can be
definite, if modified by a superlative or by a relative clause (cf. Rapoport 1987):
(B.3) hu nexšav la-more haxi tov ba-ir/ še-kol talmid xolem alav
he considered to+the-teacher most good in+the-town/that-every student dreams of-him
“He’s considered the best teacher in town/the teacher that every student dreams of.”
(ii) The occurrence of le- in these constructions is not obligatory (its occurrence is
highly preferred in colloquial Hebrew):
(B.4) hu nexšav (le)-yafe/balšan
he considered to-pretty/linguist
“He is considered pretty/a linguist.”
(iii) As can be seen from the previous and following examples, the nominal is a
simple, result nominal, rather than an e-N (event nominal). On the assumption that the
function of e-Ns is argumental (Grimshaw 1990), but the constituent following le- in
these constructions is predicative, the ungrammaticality of (B.5) follows:
(B.5) *ze haya le-harisat ha-ir
it became to-destruction-CS the-city
Intended meaning: “It became the destruction of the city.”
(iv) The occurrence of the le-NP/AP sequence is either obligatory, as with the raising
verb haya (‘was’, meaning ‘became’) (B.6a), or its omission results in a totally
different interpretation, as with the ECM verb nexšav (‘[was] considered’) ((B.6b) vs.
(B.6c)) (see fn. 71):
(B.6)
a. hu haya *(le-more)
he was (to-teacher)
“He became *(a teacher).”