ABSTRACT
The dative and locative alternations refer the ordering of arguments with certain verbs of transfer of possession and location. Formal linguistic analyses of the alternations have included syntactic operations or lexical links between semantic structures of verbs and syntactic grammatical functions (Larson, 1988; Pinker, 1989). In contrast, usage-based grammar emphasizes the frequency of form-meaning mappings (Goldberg, 2006). In many languages, morphology and telicity play a role in constraining alternations (Juffs, 1996; Snyder, 2001). The chapter traces early theory from theta roles to decompositional lexical semantics as well as usage-based approaches. The acquisition problem with overgeneralizations of the alternations is reviewed. The chapter ends with some remaining questions regarding the appropriate level of representation in the grammar, the role of input and instruction in second language acquisition, and discourse in determining possible alternations.
