Aspect and modality in English predicative and specificational copular clauses
This paper investigates the use of aspect and modality in English predicative and specificational copulars. To
examine attractions of aspectual and modal meanings to the VPs in the copular constructions, I carry out collostructional analyses
(
Stefanowitsch & Gries 2003). These attractions are interpreted with respect to
(i) the lexicogrammatically coded meaning of the copular clauses and (ii) the pragmatic mechanisms that they trigger (e.g.
(non-)exhaustiveness implicature), and (iii) the discursive functions they serve in specific contexts of use. It is crucial that
this study takes into account specificational copulars with indefinite vs definite variable NPs, which carry an implicature of
non-exhaustiveness vs exhaustiveness respectively. I will argue that the felicity of specific aspectual construals is related to
the meanings coded at level (i), while the attraction of modal verbs is related to all three levels.
Article outline
- 1.Introduction
- 2.Background
- 3.Case study
- 3.1Hypotheses
- 3.2Data collection and coding
- 3.3Results
- 3.3.1Aspect
- 3.3.2Modality
- 4.The construal of the VP
- 5.Conclusion
- Acknowledgements
- Notes
-
Primary data
-
References
References (68)
Primary data
Collins Wordbanks Online, <[URL]>
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