exceptional case marking (ECM)

A term used in GOVERNMENT-BINDING THEORY in connection with certain VERBS and the constructions in which those verbs appear. In general, it applies to the class of subject-to-object RAISING verbs of classical TRANSFORMATIONAL GRAMMAR, such as believe and consider, which take some kind of CLAUSAL COMPLEMENT (e.g. Mary believes Bill to be a fool, Mary considers Bill a fool). The exceptional nature of these verbs is in their ability to assign (objective) CASE to NOUN PHRASE subjects of complement INFINITIVAL clauses or SMALL CLAUSES.