Abstract
AbstractIn relative clause extraposition (RCE) in English, a subject-modifying relative clause appears after the verb phrase, as in Some research was conducted that supports the existing theory. Previous studies have revealed that both grammatical weight and discourse factors induce speakers to use RCE. However, the current study is the first to examine the interaction of the two. A quantitative analysis of RCE and comparable non-RCE tokens in the International Corpus of English–Great Britain (ICE-GB) showed a strong effect of weight: there is a strong preference for RCE when the relative clause is at least five times longer than the verb phrase, and a strong preference for canonical (non-RCE) order when the relative clause is the same length or shorter than the verb phrase. However, for those tokens with length ratios falling between these limits, choice of structure depends primarily on discourse factors.
Sign-in/Register to access full text options 
Free) 
Talk to us
Join us for a 30 min session where you can share your feedback and ask us any queries you have
Schedule a call
