Complement Constructions Research Articles

SEMIPRODUTIVIDADE CONSTRUCIONAL

A literatura em Gramática de Construções Baseada no Uso – entendida aqui como a vertente cognitivo-funcional da Gramática de Construções – menciona três mecanismos possíveis para explicar como o falante evita a supergeneralização: o conhecimento gramatical, o enraizamento e o bloqueio estatístico. Este artigo busca avaliar a realidade psicológica de cada um desses mecanismos a partir da análise de uma construção específica do português brasileiro: a Construção de Complementação Sentencial (por exemplo, “Ela disse que sairia”). Após uma análise baseada em corpus, da qual derivamos três hipóteses relativas à representação mental da construção em pauta, relatamos um experimento de produção induzida. Os resultados confirmam a atuação de um mecanismo baseado em conhecimento gramaticale de um mecanismo baseado em conhecimento estatístico em termos de enraizamento. Por outro lado, não foi possível comprovar a atuação do bloqueio estatístico.

On the Power of Unambiguity in Büchi Complementation

In this work, we exploit the power of \emph{unambiguity} for the complementation problem of B\"uchi automata by utilizing reduced run directed acyclic graphs (DAGs) over infinite words, in which each vertex has at most one predecessor. We then show how to use this type of reduced run DAGs as a \emph{unified tool} to optimize \emph{both} rank-based and slice-based complementation constructions for B\"uchi automata with a finite degree of ambiguity. As a result, given a B\"uchi automaton with $n$ states and a finite degree of ambiguity, the number of states in the complementary B\"uchi automaton constructed by the classical rank-based and slice-based complementation constructions can be improved, respectively, to $2^{O(n)}$ from $2^{O(n\log n)}$ and to $O(4^n)$ from $O((3n)^n)$.

Morality-in-interaction: Toddlers’ recyclings of institutional discourses of feeling during peer disputes in daycare

AbstractEveryday discursive practices comprising “emotion talk” constitute a site where morality is socialized. Yet few studies have examined how emotional expressions are assembled and serve as integral parts of the unfolding action in multi-party, remedial interchanges involving caregivers and children in early care settings. This paper examines a particular type of emotion talk, complement constructions with verbs of feeling (“want”) and saying (e.g., “Are you saying ‘no don’t stand on me’?) primed by caregivers as part of a curriculum encouraging children to use their words to express their feelings so children become sensitized to one another’s hurt feeling during peer disputes. The data were drawn from a larger corpus of video recordings of children’s naturalistic interaction collected over two years in two toddler-infant daycare centers with children aged 12–30 months. A talk-in-interaction approach was adopted. The syntactic formats provided to children by caregivers, and how children and caregivers recycled and laminated utterances with different kinds of modalities over turns, uncovered usually unarticulated normative socio-cultural assumptions regarding the shaping of affect at the daycare. The results illustrate how affective work in remedial interchanges provides a resource for participants to articulate moral values and underscore children’s agency.

The evolution of the Min potential complement construction: A case of constructional renewal and variation from an areal perspective

This paper studies the evolution of a unique potential complement construction (PCC), i.e. V-MOD/MODNEG-C, in Min, a southeastern Chinese dialect group. Based on Southern Min historical materials, the Min PCC is observed to have emerged in the late 19th century and, with its higher compositionality, accessibility and universality, renewed the preexisting mainstream Chinese PCC, i.e. V-PRT/NEG-C, in the 20th century. In modern Min dialects, the Min PCC evolves into three types of allostructions (i.e. morphosyntactic variants), which can be accounted for by directionality at the universal, language-specific, and category-specific levels. The emergence of the Min PCC and its allostructions has increased the schematicity of the Chinese PCC hierarchy.

A Study on the Korean Learner’s Acquisition of State Complement Construction “得+AP” in the Chinese Language

A Study on the Korean Learner’s Acquisition of State Complement Construction “得+AP” in the Chinese Language

The role of pilD in Francisella tularensis susceptibility to resazomycins.

The CDC classifies Francisella tularensis as a Category A bioterrorism agent. If used during a terror attack, the inhalation of a single F. tularensis bacterium can cause the fatal disease tularemia. Due to the potential release of antibiotic-resistant F. tularensis strains, new therapeutics against F. tularensis must be developed. Resazomycins are resazurin-based compounds that exhibit antimicrobial activity against F. tularensis as well as other Gram-negative bacteria including Neisseria gonorrhoeae, the causative agent of gonorrhea. The mode of action of these antibiotics is not understood. To identify potential targets of resazomycins, we selected for mutants of F. tularensis that were capable of growing in the presence of 20x the minimal inhibitory concentration of resazurin (Rz). Approximately 50% of these Rz-resistant F. tularensis isolates had a mutation in the genes FTL_0959 (pilD) and FTL_1306 (dipA). In F. tularensis, pilD encodes for the cytoplasmic membrane peptidase responsible for processing the prepilin subunits in type IV pilin assembly proteins. To investigate the role of pilD in Rz susceptibility, we generated a pilD disruption mutant in wild-type F. tularensis and tested its sensitivity to Rz. In preliminary experiments, growth of the pilD disruption mutant is inhibited by Rz, although to a lesser degree than wild-type LVS suggesting pilD may play a minor role in resazomycin susceptibility. We are currently working to generate a complementation construct to express wild-type pilD in select Rz-resistant Ft mutants to further investigate the role of this gene in Rz susceptibility.

보절의 사실성에 대한 고찰

본고는 보절의 사실성(factivity)에 대해 논의하는 데 목적이 있다. 보절 구성은 명사구 보절, 동사구 보절 그리고 논항 보절이 해당된다. 기존 연구에서는 보절의 사실성에 대해 완형보절과 비완형보절의 사실성에 초점을 두었다. 그러나 보절의 사실성 판단은 주절 술어와 보절 구성이 서로 밀접하게 관련을 맺는다. 우선, 주절 술어와 보절 구성의 관계에 있어서 주절 술어가 사실 술어이면 ‘-다는 것’과는 결합이 자연스럽지만 ‘-다고’와는 결합이 제한된다. 그러나 주절 술어가 비사실 술어일 때에는 이러한 결합 제한이 해소된다. 다음으로, ‘-다는 것’과 ‘-는 것’은 지각 동사와 결합할 때 사실 유형과 행위 유형의 의미 차이를 보인다. 사실 유형은 ‘정보’를 나타내고, 행위 유형은 ‘사건’을 나타낸다. 이러한 사실 유형과 행위 유형의 의미 차이는 명사구 보절에서 ‘-는’과 ‘-다는’이 표제명사와 결합하는 관계와도 상통한다. 그러나 보절은 제한된 구성에서 반사실적으로 해석될 수 있다. 이러한 반사실적 해석은 보절의 정형적 표현보다 비정형적 표현에서 가능하다.

Epistemic modality in the speech of Russian young children and adolescents

This paper considers the early and later stages of the acquisition of epistemic modality, focusing on certainty and uncertainty, and such basic forms of their expression as parenthetical modal words (e.g. navernoe ‘probably’, možet byt’ ‘maybe’, konecno ‘of course’, dejstvitel’no ‘really’), along with sentential complement constructions (e.g. I dumaju/scitaju, (cto) p ‘I think/believe (that) p’), which are closely connected in semantics and functions. Epistemic and – more broadly – subjective (modus) markers are interpreted as linguistic tools, conveying the propositional attitudes and feelings of the speaker/writer to a given state of affairs. Sequences in the development of epistemic repertoire, the epistemic density of spoken speech and the written texts of Russian children and adolescents, as well as the functions performed by epistemic markers, both at utterance level and text level, are discussed. Keywords: (Un)certainty, propositional attitudes, epistemic markers, early and late language development, oral and written language, Russian

Experimental study of the construction o tom, čto as a clausal complement of verbs and nouns in non-standard Russian

The spread of the complementation construction o tom, čto in non-standard Russian in recent decades has been attested in previous work. It has been established that the construction has a wide distribution and can replace not only ordinary complement clauses introduced by the complementizer čto (so-called čto-clauses), cf. podtverždat’ o tom, čto + p ‘confirm that p’ instead of podtverždat’, čto + p, but also so-called to, čto-clauses (čto-clauses preceded by a demonstrative), including those embedded in prepositional phrases introduced by a preposi- tion other than o, cf. ostanovit’sja o tom, čto + p ‘settle on the fact that p’ instead of ostanovit’sja na tom, čto + p. The construction can also appear as a clausal complement of nouns, cf. podtverždenie o tom, čto + p ‘confirmation that p’ instead of podtverždenie togo, čto + p. The latter uses have been reported to lead to a milder violation, compared to the uses of the con- struction with verbs. The present study tested the latter hypothesis experimentally by using acceptability judgment data. The experiment tested the effect of the subcategorization of the matrix predicate (in standard Russian), i. e., whether it takes a direct object/čto-clause or a prepositional phrase (embedding a to, čto-clause). The findings suggest that there is a contrast in the status of clausal complements of verbs and nouns, specifically, that the latter are not genuine complements as has been earlier suggested in literature.

Se (re) trouver dans tous ses états ... attributifs : sens et constructions

Abstract This paper offers a corpus study of two reflexive (semi-)copular verbs, viz. se trouver and se retrouver, which at first sight appear to be mere morphological variants. In a first stage, the study is devoted to the comparison of the reflexive copular construction with the object complement construction of trouver and retrouver. We show the observed differences between both constructions may be explained by a process of grammaticalization, which has attained a further stage in the case of the reflexive constructions which even admit semi-auxiliary uses. Next, we conduct a contrastive analysis of the syntax and the semantics (partially based on a collostructional analysis) of the copular constructions of se trouver and se retrouver. The analysis not only allows to describe the different meaning effects produced by the verbs, it also shows the close links with the locative uses. Moreover, it accounts for the role the morpheme « re- » plays in the reinforcement of the nuance of unexpectedness, and hence, of the detrimental inference.

Efficient CRISPR/Cas9-based genome editing and its application to conditional genetic analysis in Marchantia polymorpha.

Marchantia polymorpha is one of the model species of basal land plants. Although CRISPR/Cas9-based genome editing has already been demonstrated for this plant, the efficiency was too low to apply to functional analysis. In this study, we show the establishment of CRISPR/Cas9 genome editing vectors with high efficiency for both construction and genome editing. Codon optimization of Cas9 to Arabidopsis achieved over 70% genome editing efficiency at two loci tested. Systematic assessment revealed that guide sequences of 17 nt or shorter dramatically decreased this efficiency. We also demonstrated that a combinatorial use of this system and a floxed complementation construct enabled conditional analysis of a nearly essential gene. This study reports that simple, rapid, and efficient genome editing is feasible with the series of developed vectors.

Répondre présent/absent

Résumé This paper offers a diachronic analysis of a pair of subject complement constructions (répondre présent/absent: litt. ‘to answer “present”/“absent”) originating from quotative expressions. It shows how they lexicalized into fixed expressions denoting a routinized “delocutive” (Benveniste) procedure and how they finally got reanalyzed into a subject complement construction with an internalized projective and proactive meaning (“to act as expected”). The latter appears to be the result of the pragmatic strengthening of conversational implicatures related to the speech act. Further, it is argued that the remarkably similar evolution of répondre absent is due to analogization. Finally, the discussion of potential further host class expansion leads to a provisional answer to the question of whether or not these developments could be the symptoms of the constructionalization of a new copular verb.

A modular toolbox for Golden-Gate-based plasmid assembly streamlines the generation of Ralstonia solanacearum species complex knockout strains and multi-cassette complementation constructs.

Members of the Ralstonia solanacearum species complex (Rssc) cause bacterial wilt, a devastating plant disease that affects numerous economically important crops. Like other bacterial pests, Rssc injects a cocktail of effector proteins via the bacterial type III secretion system into host cells that collectively promote disease. Given their functional relevance in disease, the identification of Rssc effectors and the investigation of their inplanta function are likely to provide clues on how to generate pest-resistant crop plants. Accordingly, molecular analysis of effector function is a focus of Rssc research. The elucidation of effector function requires corresponding gene knockout strains or strains that express the desired effector variants. The cloning of DNA constructs that facilitate the generation of such strains has hindered the investigation of Rssc effectors. To overcome these limitations, we have designed, generated and functionally validated a toolkit consisting of DNA modules that can be assembled via Golden-Gate (GG) cloning into either desired gene knockout constructs or multi-cassette expression constructs. The Ralstonia-GG-kit is compatible with a previously established toolkit that facilitates the generation of DNA constructs for inplanta expression. Accordingly, cloned modules, encoding effectors of interest, can be transferred to vectors for expression in Rssc strains and plant cells. As many effector genes have been cloned in the past as GATEWAY entry vectors, we have also established a conversion vector that allows the implementation of GATEWAY entry vectors into the Ralstonia-GG-kit. In summary, the Ralstonia-GG-kit provides a valuable tool for the genetic investigation of genes encoding effectors and other Rssc genes.

Complex complement constructions in Early Modern English

The paper deals with the main peculiarities of syntactic compatability within matrix volitional verbs finite complements of complex constructions in the framework of generative syntax within the Minimalist Program of N. Chomsky using the leading transformational rules such as projection principle, a-movement. The article outlines the ways of that/wh-correlatives origin inside subordinate relationship in the head-specifier location in [Spec, CP] of the functional projection CP. We postulate generation and contact location of embedded finite clauses directly after principal clauses by way of that/wh-element movement up left where its landing site occurs to be the clausal complement specifier [Spec, CP] occupying the head place of the functional projection CP which c-commands over the whole complement and its internal constituents in the node of a complementizer phrase. The article provides special fundamental arguments for proving that CP forms an independent complementizer phrase for expanding of the the matrix verb VP lexical projection function. The paper considers main grammatical categories and syntactic functions of subordinate finite clauses embedded in constructions of higher level as indirect statements, directives or questions in the function of a direct object and a complement. Special attention is focused on defining finite sentencial complements types as declarative and interrogative ones depending on the semantics of the principal verbs of willing. Namely, we distinguish subordinate type clauses as: 1) a declarative type that actualizes indirect statements (hope, intend, resolve, persuade, promise, warn) and indirect directives (ask, beg, charge, appoint, require, command, instruct, order) of volitional predicates; 2) an interrogative type that realizes indirect questions of ask, advise, choose, promise, instruct predicates. The choice of a complementizer also influences on the grammatical category of an embedded sentencial complement. Hereby, conjunction that preferably introduces a declarative type whereas wh-correlative points to the interrogative categorial function of a finite content clause.

A Study on the Development of Sentence Final Endings ‘–ngeol’, ‘–lgeol’

This thesis aims mainly to argue the development of sentence final endings ‘-ngeol’, ‘-lgeol’ from noun phrase complement constructions ‘-n geoseul’, ‘-l geoseul’. In chapter 2 and 3, I present that ‘-ngeol’, ‘-lgeol’ has the function as conjunctive endings and sentence final endings mainly in premodern Korean. And especially I explain that ‘-l geoseul’ has various modal meanings such as speculation, regret, and duty through irrealis marker ‘-l’. Also ‘-ngeol’, ‘-lgeol’ and ‘-l geoseul’, -n geoseul’ coexit in modern Korean, and I explain this phenomenon as layering, one of the principles of grammaticlaization. I discuss that the development of ‘-ngeol’, ‘-lgeol’ is related to the sentence that has rhetorical interrogative, and inversion of antecedent and following clause. Finally, I compare ‘-ngeol’, ‘-lgeol’ with other conjunctive endings including accusative case marker ‘-l’.

Variation across two dimensions: testing the Complexity Principle and the Uniform Information Density Principle on adjectival data

This study tests the applicability of the Complexity Principle (Rohdenburg 1996) and the Uniform Information Density Principle (Jaeger 2010) on adjectival data as regards the variation between retaining and omitting the complementizer that in English adjectival complementation constructions. More specifically, the study tests the effect of different factors of potential importance on this variation across extraposed (e.g. It was inevitable (that) he should be nicknamed ‘the Ferret’) and post-predicate clauses (e.g. I'm happy (that) we are married). While both the factors concerned with the Complexity Principle and the Uniform Information Density Principle are found to have an effect on post-predicate clauses, less clear effects are found concerning extraposed clauses. I attribute these findings to the difference between the two constructions in terms of their frequency of co-occurrence with different matrix subject types and with different adjectives.

Profiling verb complementation constructions across New Englishes

In this paper, we explore verb complementation patterns withtoandingin native English (British and American English) as compared to three Asian Englishes (Hong Kong, Indian, and Singaporean English). Based on data from the International Corpus of English annotated for variables describing the matrix verb and the complement, we run two random forests analyses to determine where the Asian Englishes have developed complementation preferences different from the two native speaker varieties. We find not only a variety of differences between the Asian and the native Englishes, but also that the Asian Englishes are more similar (i.e. ‘better predicted by’) the American English data. Further, as the first study of its kind to extend the MuPDAR approach from the now frequent regression analyses to random forests analysis, this study adds a potentially useful analytical tool to the often messy and skewed observational data corpus linguists need to deal with.

Korean EFL Learners' Use of to-infinitival and Gerundial Verb Complementation : A Constructionist Approach

to-infinitival and gerundial verb complementation patterns in English are known to pose particular difficulties to English as a foreign language(EFL) learners as there are often no equivalents in their mother tongue(L1) and seem no explicit rules governing the choice between the two patterns. The present study set out to examine main verbs co-occurring with either complementation pattern in a corpus of argumentative essays written by Korean university students. Specifically, the study identified distinctive collexemes(DC) or verbs distinctively attracted to one complementation pattern over the other and compared the extracted DCs with those from a comparable native speaker(NS) corpus. Results showed that while the Korean EFL learners were overall able to select verbs semantically compatible to either complementation construction, the direction and strength of verb-construction association in learner data deviated from the NS data indicating the Korean EFL learners’ lack of idiomaticity in collostructional selection. This paper concludes by discussing pedagogical and research implications.

Retarded Embryo Development 1 (RED1) regulates embryo development, seed maturation and plant growth in Arabidopsis

Plant seeds accumulate large amounts of protein and carbohydrate as storage reserves during maturation. Thus, understanding the genetic control of embryo and seed development may provide bioengineering tools for yield improvement. In this study, we report the identification of Retarded Embryo Development 1 (RED1) gene in Arabidopsis, whose two independent T-DNA insertion mutant lines, SALK_085642 (red1-1) and SALK_022583 (red1-2), show a retarded embryo development phenotype. The embryogenesis process ceases at the late heart stage in red1-1 and at the bent-cotyledon stage in red1-2, respectively, resulting in seed abortion in both lines. The retarded embryo development and seed abortion phenotypes reverted to normal when RED1 complementation constructs were introduced into mutant plants. Small red1-2 homozygous plants can be successfully rescued by culturing immature seeds, indicating that seed abortion likely results from compromised tolerance to the desiccation process associated with seed maturation. Consistent with this observation, red1-2 seeds accumulate less protein, and the expression of two late embryo development reporter transgenes, LEA::GUS and β-conglycinin::GUS, was significantly weak and started relatively late in the red1-2 mutant lines compared to the wild type. The RED1 gene encodes a plant specific novel protein that is localized in the nucleus. These results indicate that RED1 plays important roles in embryo development, seed maturation and plant growth.

Grammatical constructions and cross-text generalizations

This paper investigates two tense-based constructions in English and Greek and one complementation construction in Greek, whose import is to effect a deictic shift and allow narration to proceed from the point of view of the narrated events and a participant therein. In addition to the individual formal and discourse-pragmatic properties of the patterns at hand, I focus on properties of the embedding context, showing that these unrelated constructions impose similar formal and interpretational requirements. This, in turn, supports the statement of generalizations at the level of genre, in this case empathetic narration as a special kind of narration that departs from the default past narrative which is deictically anchored to the narrator and the conversational coordinates. While the analysis adopts a bottom-up, language-driven approach to genre, it also refutes its exhaustive equation with linguistic conventions, arguing that a Bakhtinian view of genre, which includes both linguistic and socio-cultural dimensions, is more appropriate for the data at hand.