Abstract
English it-cleft is a constant topic in linguistic study. Previous work on it-clefts resided in their structural andfunctional aspects and neglected their cognitive basis. This paper is an attempt to consider the form and functionof it-clefts within the framework of Cognitive Linguistics. Most previous studies of it-clefts have paid noattention to the status of “it” and “copular be” which is generally believed to be dummy. Following the tenets ofCognitive Linguistics, every form has its own meaning or function. This paper argues that the function of “it” asa pronoun is relative to the cleft clause, which is modified by the clause. “Copular be” performs the function ofidentifying in it-clefts. The paper then uses the concepts of Recency Effect, figure-ground and grounding theoryto account for the information distribution, cognitive motivation of it-clefts.
Highlights
It-cleft is generally accepted as a marked syntactic bi-clausal option in English, which expresses a simple semantic proposition in terms of information distribution by placing an element in focal position within the copular matrix clause
The paper uses the concepts of Recency Effect, figure-ground and grounding theory to account for the information distribution, cognitive motivation of it-clefts
We shall first elucidate the form and function of it-clefts within the framework of Cognitive Linguistics and using the descriptive apparatus of Cognitive Linguistics explore the cognitive motivations of the basic elements in it-clefts
Summary
It-cleft is generally accepted as a marked syntactic bi-clausal option in English, which expresses a simple semantic proposition in terms of information distribution by placing an element in focal position within the copular matrix clause. 699) argued, has always been a testing ground for linguistic frameworks: generative in the sixties and early seventies, presuppositional in the seventies and early eighties, functional or discourse analytical in the eighties. It imposes an explanatory challenge on Cognitive Linguistics. Others (Halliday, 1994; Prince, 1978; Quirk et al, 1985; Collins, 1991; Huang & Fawcett, 1996, etc.) adopted a functional perspective by exploring clefts from their thematic structure and information structure. We shall first elucidate the form and function of it-clefts within the framework of Cognitive Linguistics and using the descriptive apparatus of Cognitive Linguistics explore the cognitive motivations of the basic elements in it-clefts
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