Sentences such as 'What Fred does is complain' and 'What Fred does is important' have both been labeled as pseudo-clefts, though of two distinct types. We provide four tests to structurally distinguish such constructions. Entailment patterns and a number of structural ties between the post-copular constituent and specific constituents of the pre-copular relative clause suggest using the label ‘pseudo-cleft’ for the former type only. This paper also examines certain cases of pseudo-clefts with no simple correlates, and vice versa, to argue – contra Higgins 1973 – that these do not necessarily contradict the existence of a structural connection (a transformation, in the sense of Z. S. Harris) between the members of pairs formed by a pseudo-cleft and its non-cleft counterpart.
Mirto, I. (2010). Two Types of pseudo-clefts?. In D. Vitas & C. Krstev (a cura di), Proceedings of the 29th International Conference on Lexis and Grammar (pp. 215-225). Belgrado : Faculty of Mathematics, University of Belgrade.
Data di pubblicazione: | 2010 |
Titolo: | Two Types of pseudo-clefts? |
Autori: | |
Citazione: | Mirto, I. (2010). Two Types of pseudo-clefts?. In D. Vitas & C. Krstev (a cura di), Proceedings of the 29th International Conference on Lexis and Grammar (pp. 215-225). Belgrado : Faculty of Mathematics, University of Belgrade. |
Abstract: | Sentences such as 'What Fred does is complain' and 'What Fred does is important' have both been labeled as pseudo-clefts, though of two distinct types. We provide four tests to structurally distinguish such constructions. Entailment patterns and a number of structural ties between the post-copular constituent and specific constituents of the pre-copular relative clause suggest using the label ‘pseudo-cleft’ for the former type only. This paper also examines certain cases of pseudo-clefts with no simple correlates, and vice versa, to argue – contra Higgins 1973 – that these do not necessarily contradict the existence of a structural connection (a transformation, in the sense of Z. S. Harris) between the members of pairs formed by a pseudo-cleft and its non-cleft counterpart. |
Settore Scientifico Disciplinare: | Settore L-LIN/01 - Glottologia E Linguistica |
Appare nelle tipologie: | 2.01 Capitolo o Saggio |