Monoclausal Constructions Research Articles

Subjunctives in Romanian Languages: Micro-Parametric Variation in Complement CPs and the Periphrastic Future

This paper aims to (i) establish the micro-parametric variation in the development of the subjunctive CP in Romanian languages (Daco-Romanian/DR; Aromanian/AR; Megleno-Romanian/MR; Istro-Romanian/IR) and (ii) account for derivations in which the subjunctive is integrated into the formation of the periphrastic future in these languages. Briefly, the analysis points out that the subjunctive CP in Romanian languages can display a split Fin (unlike in other Balkan languages) and that the remerging of the split Fin finds itself at different stages: complete in DR, but incomplete at different degrees in AR, MR, and IR. The compatibility of the subjunctive morphology with the derivation of the periphrastic future follows from the semantic bleaching and grammaticization of the volitional ‘will’ and ‘have’ verbs, together with the Balkan Sprachbund subjunctive mood marking, which combine in a monoclausal construction via a serial verb derivation to compositionally check a Fin marked [+finite, modal].

Comparing traditional and task-based approaches to teaching pragmatics: Task design processes and learning outcomes

The goal of the current study is twofold: (1) to demonstrate how to design authentic blog-posting tasks for Korean learners of English as a foreign language (EFL); and (2) to compare traditional (textbook-based) and task-based instruction in Korean high school students’ learning of advice-giving strategies in English. Fifty high school students in Korea were assigned to either a traditional or a task-based instruction condition. The traditional group was taught advice-giving strategies using their required textbook. For the task-based instruction group, advice-giving tasks were designed simulating online Q&A communities. Participants were asked to read other high school students’ blogs about their personal concerns and respond to the concerns by posting their advice in a forum. Both groups completed a background survey, a pretest, instructional treatment (a textbook exercise for the traditional condition and individual advice-giving tasks for the task-based condition), a reflection survey, and immediate and delayed posttests over three months. Both groups’ pretest/posttest responses were analysed in terms of the occurrence of advice-giving strategies (e.g. expressing sympathy) based on existing coding frameworks and what students produced. In addition, linguistic forms in each strategy were coded for syntactic complexity (e.g. bi-clausal or mono-clausal constructions). The frequency of different advice-giving strategies and linguistic forms on posttests was compared between the two groups, and between the pretest and posttests for each group. The results showed that the task-based group outperformed the traditional group on the immediate posttest only. However, both groups demonstrated significant gains in advice-giving knowledge at the immediate posttest, and the learning was sustained for 8 weeks. In terms of learning complex constructions of advice-giving head acts (i.e. bi-clausal constructions), there were immediate learning benefits for the task-based group only.

Juggling arguments: VSVO and other word orders in Hul’q’umi’num’ Salish SVCs

This paper investigates the word order of serial-verb constructions in Hul’q’umi’num’ Salish. Hul’q’umi’num’ SVCs are monoclausal constructions consisting of two or more verbs that can function as independent lexical verbs, have matching aspect, share one or more arguments, and are not connected by any linking element. Two-verb SVCs may consist of transitive and intransitive verbs. The first question concerns subject and object NP placement. For constructions with two overt NPs, an alternating VSVO pattern is both preferred in elicitation, and the only order occurring in the corpus. Only shared arguments may intervene between the verb components. Hul’q’umi’num’ SVCs exhibit flexible word order in elicitation, but certain grammatical word orders generate ambiguity. Various pragmatic strategies work together to prevent or rescue ambiguous constructions. SVCs are an understudied feature of Central Salish languages; thus investigation of this topic broadens the scope of the current literature.

When Moldovan meets Russian

This article offers an analysis of Moldovan complex predicates, focusing on the differences between structures with aspectuals and modals. It is shown that, under the influence of Russian, a minor pattern found in old Moldovan, whereby aspectuals and embedded infinitives instantiate a monoclausal construction, was generalized. As a consequence, pronominal clitics became free to raise to the matrix aspectual predicate, since they were no longer blocked by phasal (CP) barriers. Conversely, modal predicates, which select in both Russian and Moldovan full CP-complements, do not display clitic-climbing since clitics cannot skip over phasal boundaries. Following an overview of Romance and Slavic complex predicates, Moldovan complex predicates containing both aspectual and modal verbs are analysed. In this analysis infinitival complements and subjunctive complements, which show different syntactic behaviours, especially with respect to the phenomenon of clitic-climbing, will be treated separately. Finally, the special case of Moldovan within (Daco-)Romance is discussed, since Moldovan appears to be the only variety which has started to systematically display clitic-climbing out of subjunctive clauses introduced by să.

Рефлексивно-дативни конструкции с оптативно значение в българския език

This article analyzes and compares two types of Bulgarian reflexivedative constructions with optative meaning: bi-clausal (Иска ми се да танцувам ‘I wish to dance’) and monoclausal (Танцува ми се ‘I feel like dancing’). It presents the structural and semantic specificity of these constructions as well as the possibilities and constrains for their use. Both structures are distinguished by the presence of a verb in the third person, the reflexive particle се and an obligatory dative clitic expressing an experiencer argument. The bi-clausal constructions are viewed as resulting from optative diathesis: аз искам да ‘I want to’ → иска ми се да ‘I wish to’. The monoclausal constructions are viewed as resulting from a further transformation: Иска ми се да танцувам → Танцува ми се. The semantic specialization of the monoclausal constructions is to express a desire for something based on an internal need (primary or secondary). The dative argument is understood as a ‘feel like/experiencer’ subject of the denoted event.

The grammaticalization of term focus structures in Chadic languages: A case of microvariation

Abstract This paper argues that the Chadic languages Bura, South Marghi, Hausa, and Guruntum show different stages of the assumed grammaticalization path from bi-clausal cleft structures to mono-clausal constructions for the expression of term focus. This development is characterized by several syntactic and semantic changes, i.e. the reinterpretation of the cleft copula into a focus marker, the loss of the exhaustive inference typically associated with clefts, as well as the loss of syntactic indicators of embedded structures. Based on a microvariational comparison of the four languages, the paper hypothesizes that clefts are diachronically abandoned in favour of mono-clausal focus structures.

On motivation and incoordination in grammar – The case of two Polish exclamative constructions

AbstractThe paper discusses two Polish exclamative constructions as instances of the Abstract Exclamative Construction (AEC) proposed by Michaelis and Lambrecht (1996). It is argued that while theCo-zaExclamative Construction is motivated straightforwardly by the identifyingCo-zaQuestion Construction as well as AEC, theAleExclamative Construction involves not only AEC but also a more complex process called “incoordination”, whereby a second coordinate clause with its coordinating conjunctionalebecomes an autonomous monoclausal construction. The process involves a change in the information structure and in illocutionary force, which becomes increasingly expressive. In addition, it is accompanied by a shift of the sentence stress from the focal element in the second coordinate clause to the initialAle.

Structure and Grammaticalization of Serial Verb Constructions in Sign Language of the Netherlands-A Corpus-Based Study.

In serial verb constructions (SVCs), multiple independent lexical verbs are combined in a mono-clausal construction. SVCs express a range of grammatical meanings and are attested in numerous spoken languages all around the world. Yet, to date only few studies have investigated the existence and functions of SVCs in sign languages. For the most part, these studies—including a previous study on Sign Language of the Netherlands (NGT)—relied on elicited data. In this article, we offer a cross-modal typological contribution to the study of SVCs by investigating the phenomenon based on naturalistic corpus data from NGT. A search of the Corpus NGT yielded 41 mono-clausal utterances in which one of a closed set of verbs—namely go, give, take, and call—combines with another lexical verb. While the combinations we found are in important respects reminiscent of SVCs described for spoken languages, our data also confirm the previous finding that the fixed verb in the SVC serves to express agreement (by means of spatial modulation) when the other verb cannot do so. In addition, we identified some novel uses of the verbs go and give: (i) go functioning as a future tense marker and (ii) give functioning as a light verb. We will also discuss aspects of the grammaticalization of SVCs in NGT: from lexical verb to light verb to auxiliary, again offering some comparison to grammaticalization paths described for spoken languages.

On the Intensional Feel-Like Construction in Slovenian: A Case of a Phonologically Null Verb

This paper discusses an apparently monoclausal construction which has a dispositional interpretation ('x feels like V-ing') but no overt dispositional element. The paper is a detailed study of the construction as it is realized in Slovenian, although similar constructions are found in some other languages, most notably Slavic. We argue that the construction is best analyzed as biclausal, containing a covert matrix psych-predicate. We thus go against the monoclausal treatment proposed by Rivero and Milojevic Sheppard (2003). The discussion touches on a number of theoretical issues, such as (deficient) clausal complements, the phase theory, adverbial syntax, and the sententialist/intensionalist debate on intensionality.

Speech report constructions in Russian

This study is concerned with the strategies for reporting speech in contemporary Russian. It analyses the salient features of direct and indirect speech report constructions and examines the shifts that accompany the transformation of a direct speech report construction into its corresponding indirect construction. It demonstrates that while most speech report constructions in Russian are multiclausal, monoclausal constructions using evidentials are also possible and that a speech report continuum exists where some constructions display features of both direct and indirect speech reports.

Predicate union and the syntax of Japanese passives

This paper presents a relational account of the Japanese constructions that are commonly referred to as ‘passives’. They are shown to all be multipredicate, monoclausal constructions, with the differences between them primarily attributable to optionality in the lexical argument structure of the ‘passive’ predicate. The proposed analysis explains the differences between passives and causatives, despite their sometimes identical case-marking. Further, evidence from the interaction of unaccusative verbs and passive is shown to lead to a formal revision of the 1-Advancement Exclusiveness law. Finally, the differences between Japanese and Korean with respect to passives is reduced to a simple lexical difference between the two languages.