English resultative expressions have been a major focus of research on the syntax-se
interface. We argue in this article that a family of related constructions is required to acc
their distribution. We demonstrate that a number of generalizations follow from the sem
the constructions we posit: the syntactic argument structure of the sentence is predicted by g
principles of argument linking; and the aspectual structure of the sentence is determine
aspectual structure of the constructional subevent, which is in turn predictable from general
ples correlating event structure with change, extension, motion, and paths. Finally, the se
and syntax of resultatives explain the possibilities for temporal relations between the tw
events. While these generalizations clearly exist, there is also a great deal of idiosyncrasy
in resultatives. Many idiosyncratic instances and small subclasses of the construction
learned and stored individually. This account serves to justify aspects of what we sha
overall vision of grammar, what we might call the CONSTRUCTIONAL view. To the extent
treatment of the resultative can be stated only within the constructional view, it serves as
for this view as a whole.