Corpus-Based Research of Simple Non-Inverted Pronominal Interrogative Constructions in English

Abstract

The research featured nuclear models of pronominal interrogative sentences with direct word order in the English language. The use of non-inverted interrogative structures depends on the analytical character of English. The partial subjectpredicate inversion is the main means of interrogativity. However, interrogative sentences with direct word order are quite common in colloquial English. The violation of the inverted word order reflects the phenomenon of language economy and can be explained by expressive and stylistic tasks. Although violation of word order in declarative sentences is a popular research topic, the subject-predicate inversions in interrogative sentences remain largely understudied in domestic and foreign linguistics. The research involved a modified corpus analysis. Based on the Corpus of Contemporary American English, the author established the frequency of pronominal interrogative structures with direct word order, analyzed their grammatical features, and defined the most popular genres, which appeared to be the discourse of television and cinema. The obtained results make it possible to develop a formal classification of non-inverted pronominal and non-pronominal constructions.