One of the most widely used constructions in Korean is the so-called light verb construction (LVC) involving a verbal noun (VN) together with the light verb ha- ‘do’. This chapter discusses the light verb's grammatical functions as well as the VN's mixed properties, both of which have provided a challenge to syntactic analyses with a strict version of X-bar theory. It then shows that the mechanism of multiple classification of category types with systematic inheritance can provide an effective way of capturing these mixed properties. The chapter also restates the well-known argument composition properties of the LVC and reinforces them with a construction-based HPSG analysis.

(1) a. motwu-ka i chayk-ul ilk-eya ha-yess-ta

everyone-NOM this book-ACC read-CONN do-PST-DECL

‘Everyone had to read this book.’

b. motwu-ka i chayk-ul ilk-kon ha-yess-ta

everyone-NOM this book-ACC read-CONN do-PST-DECL

‘Everyone used to read this book.’

(2) a. Mimi-nun cokumaha-n saep-ul ha-yess-ta

Mimi-TOP small-MOD business-ACC do-PST-DECL

‘Mimi ran a small business.’

b. Mimi-nun yeyppun kwikeli-lul ha-yess-ta

Mimi-TOP pretty earing-ACC do-PST-DECL

‘Mimi was wearing a pretty earing.’

(3) a. Mimi-nun DNA kwuco-lul yenkwu ha-yess-ta

Mimi-TOP DNA structure-ACC research do-PST-DECL

‘Mimi studied the DNA structure.’

b. ku yenghwa-lul hankwuk-eyse chwalyeng ha-yess-ta

the movie-ACC Korea-LOC shoot do-PST-DECL

‘They made the movie at Korea.’

c. ku ilum-un namwu-lopwuthe yulay ha-yess-ta

the name-TOP tree-SRC origin do-PST-DECL

‘The name was originated from the tree.’