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This paper aims to examine and explain, from a Generative Lexicon (Pustejovsky 1995) viewpoint, the alternation and substitution of light verbs (LVs) in Persian complex predicates (also referred to as light verb constructions). To this aim, the hypothesis we are going to test is that semantic features including meaning commonality, distinct aspectual features (LVs’ aktionsarts), difference in argument structure, etc. are some of factors involved in LV alternation with a particular PV. A thorough examination of various kinds of alternation and substitution of LVs combined with the same pre-verbal element (PV) suggests that the information encoded in different lexical-semantic structures (Argument structure, Event structure and Qualia structure) of PVs and LVs, including arguments encoded in a-structure of predicative PVs, as well as aspectual features, such as initiatory vs. transitory or spontaneous vs. durative aspect, of light verbs make it (im)possible to substitute different light verbs occurring with a particular PV. Information represented in lexico semantic structure of linguistic items, especially Qualia structure which includes limited but necessary information for explaining lecical semantic relations between two LVC components serves to account for alternation ant substitution of LVs in complex predicate structures based on the concepts of Generative Lexicon theory.
The research method is descriptive-analytic and the data under study consist of Persian complex predicates (gathered and cited from Anvari 2002) consisting a nominal PV and each of the light verbs kardan (‘do, make’), zadan (‘hit’), kešidan (‘pull, drag’) and dâdan (‘give’).

Keywords: Persian complex predicate, Alternation of light verbs, Generative Lexicon

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