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3.2.2.6.Summary
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This sections have discussed four kinds of middle constructions. These constructions have in common that they are generic in nature in the sense that they express an individual-level property of the subject of the construction and select an evaluative modifier of the gemakkelijk-type, which introduces an implied experiencer that is interpreted as coreferential with the implied agent. The verbs in the various middle constructions are related to different verb classes: verbs in regular and reflexive middles correspond to transitive verbs or verbs that assign accusative case to the subject of a secondary predicate; verbs in adjunct and impersonal middles are (pseudo-)intransitive. The subjects of middle constructions never correspond to the external argument of the corresponding intransitive or transitive verb; such arguments seem to be suppressed. The subject of regular and reflexive middles corresponds to an argument that is assigned accusative case by the input verb, whereas the subject of an adjunct middle corresponds to the nominal part of an adverbial phrase. Impersonal middles take the non-referential pronoun het'it' as their subject. Past participles of middle verbs cannot be used attributively or predicatively, whereas present participles of regular and adjunct middles can be used attributively (but, as usual, not predicatively).

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