Expletive Constructions and Agreement in Labeling Theory

ABSTRACT In this paper, I explain how agreement occurs in English expletive constructions, in accord with recent work in the Minimalist Program. I develop a proposal that relies on feature unification and probe‐goal agreement, as well as the notion that internal merge of arguments generally applies freely. I take the position that there can be unification of identical unvalued features associated with a probe and an expletive goal. An expletive must end up in a phrase that is labeled by a shared person feature. In addition, the notion that internal merge is generally free accounts for the possibility of thematization/extraction, in which an object that is associated with an expletive appears in a preverbal position in a passivized construction.