UNACCUSATIVE VERBS

NON-DELIMITED DELIMITED
INHERENT UNACCUSATIVE ERGATIVE
SPATIAL PRESENTATIONAL CHANGE OF
EXISTENCIAL MOTION
CONFIGURATION appearance/disappearance STATE
exist cling appear advance* approach
live droop arise become break
persist hang arrive come burn
remain kneel bloom depart* cease
lie blossom digress change
linger decay elapse* close
sag decline ensure* collapse
sit die enter* crack
stand dissappear escape* desintegrate
expire exit* drop
faint fall freeze
falter go grow
flourish hurry melt
happen return* move
leave* rise open
occur yeld roll
part shift
recede surrender*
relent thaw
subside turn
vanish withdraw
waver wither
wilt
*verbs of Latin origin which contain an incorporated preposition within their stem morphology
underlined: admit a causative NON-ERGATIVE alternation

Unaccusative verbs always select a DP THEME argument, but as they generally predicate the appearance,
movement or position of these themes, they may also take an overt locative complement, which is generally
realised by a prepositional or an adverbial construction. So, delimited unaccusatives are usually followed by
constructions expressing direction, and non-delimited unaccusatives, by constructions expressing location:
They have ARRIVED [here]
He WENT straight to his own room
Donald was LYING on the bed
He LAY on the ground for the rest of the evening
The monolith used to STAND right there
In front of the house (there) STANDS a statue of General Harvey
From inside the house (there) CAME a cry of anguish
There AROSE an unfortunate misunderstanding among some members
There APPEARED a ghostly face at the window
The curtains DISAPPEARED from view
There could have OCCURRED a diplomatic incident between those countries

The unaccusative verb go may occur in special context, such as:

To go TO SLEEP > (TO = preposition / SLEEP = N)
To go dancing/shopping/swimming (-ING = gerund)
Go buy me some cigarettes

The unaccusative verbs live and die may, marginally, have TRANSITIVE behaviour:
I don't believe Davis died a natural death
Some of the have been living entirely artificial lives

Some spatial configuration verbs can occur in CAUSATIVE (non-ergative) constructions, such as:
Peter hung several pictures above the mantelpiece (i.e. caused them to hang)
The hostess sat the guests on comfortable cushions (i.e. made them sit)
Verbs of spatial configuration may co-occur with expressions of direction (e.g. up, down). In these cases they
take on a delimited meaning (i.e. assuming a possition):
Madge sat down on the couch and after a while stood up crying

Unergative verbs: Denote events which minimally involve a single participant. These verbs select a single
argument (external), which always occupies the subject position. The thematic role of their minimally required
argument is either a volitional or non-volitional causer of the action denoted by the verb, and it is generally
realised by a nominative determiner phrase. Normally, these verbs do not take an accusative complement. 1

MANNER OF MOTION MANNER OF EMISION

(+ displacement) (- displacement) SOUND LIGHT SUBSTANCE
amble blink babble murmur* beam ache
clump fidget bark mutter* blush bleed
crawl flinch bawl nattle dazzle burp
creep hesitate beef prattle flash cough
dance lurk bellow protest flicker erupt
drift quake bitch ramble gape fart
edge quiver bleat roar* gawk gargle
fly pause blubber scream* gaze itch
hobble peep chat screech glance listen
inch reel chatter shout* glare ooze
limp scuffle cheer shriek gleam piss
lurch shamble chirp snarl glimmer reek
march shiver chortle sneer glint shit
pace shudder chuckle snigger/snicker glisten smart
pad skulk clap snivel glitter sneeze
paddle sleep complain snore glow snort
plod sulk converse sob goggle spit
prowl throb coo speak grin splutter
roam tremble crackle sputter leer stink
run twitch crow squeal look sweat
saunter vibrate cry squeak peek tingle
scamper wag giggle stammer peer vomit
shimme
scuttle waggle gripe stumble r weep
scurry wait groan stutter shine
shuffle wiggle growl talk smile breathe
skip wince grumble titter smirk dine*
slide work grunt tweet sparkle drink
slither wriggle guffaw twitter stare eat*
hiccup /
slip hiccough waffle twinkle fast
sneak hiss wail wink gasp
stagger holler wheeze lunch*
stomp hoot whimper pant
stride howl whine sigh
stroll hum whinge smoke*
stumble jeer whisper snif
swim laugh whistle sniffle
tiptoe lie yammer suck*
traipse lisp yap yawn
tramp moan yell fish
trudge mumble yelp
waddle
wade
NOTE: items followed by (*) can behave (or be
walk
considered) as transitive V
wander

1
Unergative verbs are actually derived from transitive constructions in which the NOMINAL object “incorporates” onto the verbal head,
therefore, these verbs allow both “cognate” and non-subcategorised objects, the latter only in resultative constructions.