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Part of
Explorations in English Historical Syntax
Edited by Hubert Cuyckens, Hendrik De Smet, Liesbet Heyvaert and Charlotte Maekelberghe
[Studies in Language Companion Series 198] 2018
► pp. 139–158

Chapter 5
Causative make and its infinitival complements in Early Modern English

| Kyoto University

The present paper discusses the variability between to- and bare infinitives in the complement of causative make in Early Modern English, with a focus on make used in the active voice. Although bare infinitives are almost exclusively used with active causative make in Present-day English, this has not always been the case in the history of English. Throughout the Early Modern English period, to-infinitives were still encountered to a noticeable extent. Moreover, various linguistic factors were relevant to the choice of to- and bare infinitives. The present paper examines complexity in general, the objects/causees of make, coordination of infinitives, and lexical items used as infinitives.

Keywords: causative make , complementation, bare infinitives, to-infinitives, complexity
Article outline
  • 1.Introduction
  • 2.Data and methods
  • 3.Causative make plus to- and bare infinitives in Early Modern English: A historical overview
  • 4.Linguistic factors affecting the choice of to- and bare infinitives
    • 4.1Preliminary remarks
    • 4.2Complexity in general
    • 4.3The object/causee of make
    • 4.4Coordination of infinitives
    • 4.5Infinitives of different verbs
  • 5.Conclusion
  • Acknowledgements
  • Notes
  • References
Published online: 13 August 2018
DOI logo
https://doi.org/10.1075/slcs.198.06iye
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[no author supplied]
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