When Richard met CG: reference-point and English copy-raising

Abstract

abstractThe aim of this paper is to develop a Cognitive Grammar-based analysis of English Copy-raising (CR) constructions such asRichard seems like he is dancing. We argue that the notion of reference-point plays a crucial role in licensing the matrix-subject of the construction. In CR, with the epistemic verbsseemandappear, the matrix-subject functions as a reference-point in relation to the pronominal copy (if a copy exists) in the embedded clause. The aboutness topicality of the matrix-subject in CR is expected, owing to its reference-point property. The epistemic CR construction is acceptable without a pronominal copy if the matrix-subject functions as a reference-point in relation to the complement clause. The same type of analysis is applied to the CR construction with perceptual resemblance (PR) verbs –sound,look,feel, andsmell– leading to the conclusion that the strong dichotomy between epistemic and PR verbs is illusory. It is further demonstrated that expletivethere-raising in CR is motivated by the same reference-point phenomenon. The difference betweenthere-raising and other CR examples stems from the role ofthereas a setting subject. Our reference-point-based analysis predicts a metonymic interpretation of the matrix-subject, which we attribute to the connection between reference-point and metonymy.