English Focus Constructions and the Theory of Grammar

This study focuses on constructions in English and how they are judged to be 'stylistic.'

Michael Shaun Rochemont (Author), Peter William Culicover (Author)

9780521117180, Cambridge University Press

Paperback, published 30 July 2009

220 pages
22.9 x 15.2 x 1.3 cm, 0.33 kg

This book is concerned primarily with certain constructions in English, often referred to as 'stylistic,' whose use is restricted to particular contexts to discourse. Within the general framework of Chomskyan Government-Binding Theory, Michael Rochemont and Peter Culicover demonstrate how these constructions can be accommodated naturally within grammatical theory. Indeed, the existence of these constructions in English follows directly from general assumptions about the nature of English grammar. Along with explaining the formal properties of these constructions, the book investigates why it is that they are judged to be 'stylistic.' Rochemont and Culicover argue that what is perceived as stylistic does in fact follow from the special 'focus' property itself is predictable from general grammatical principles. This is an original study of 'stylistic constructions' in any depth, integrating them into syntactic theory. It will interest linguists and other scholars working within the area of English grammar and syntactic theory.

Acknowledgements
Introduction
1. Theoretical assumptions
2. Extraposition from NP
3. Stylistic inversion
4. NP shift
5. English focus constructions
Notes
References
Index of names
Index of subjects.

Subject Areas: Grammar, syntax & morphology [CFK]