Abstract
This article presents a theory of argument structure in Japanese which involves complex predicates. A salient feature of the present study is that the structure containing complex predicates is analyzed as being simplex, i. e. no embedded clause postulated, until Logical Form (LF) is reached, and that it becomes complex only at this level. This article attempts to show, as a test case, that causative constructions formed from base transitive verbs can be explained along this line. It remains to be seen whether all complex predicates including passives and other agglutinative complex predicates can be treated in the same logic employed here.
