To think thatconstructions and Japanesetowa/nanteconstructions

Abstract

AbstractEnglish has what is called ‘theto think thatconstruction’, in which the subordinate clause (theto-infinitive clause) is used as if it were an independent clause (e.g.,To think that she could be so ruthless!). This paper shows that theto think thatconstruction can be divided into two types depending on the contents of thethatclauses: one is the “recall” type, in which thethatclauses represent a speaker’s knowledge (i.e., his/her past event or experience); and the other is the “surprise” type, in which thethatclauses describe an event at the speech time which the speaker regards as unbelievable. This paper further shows that the “surprise” type of theto think thatconstruction corresponds to the Japanese exclamatory sentence, or thetowa/nanteconstruction such asKodomo-ni anna koto-o iw-are-ru{towa/nante}!‘(Lit.) That my child should say such a thing!’.