Chapter 9. Should with non-past reference
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Lilo Moessner
Abstract
This chapter combines a quantitative and a qualitative analysis of the use of should with non-past reference in the historical periods Old English, Middle English (ME), and Early Modern English (EModE). It is based on data from the Helsinki Corpus of English Texts and the Middle English Dictionary. The quantitative analysis detects a few late ME examples, but establishes EModE as the period when should with non-past reference became firmly established, and from the qualitative analysis the conclusion is derived that should as a competitor of the present subjunctive in mandative constructions developed as a result of its meaning extension from obligation to other shades of non-fact modality.
Abstract
This chapter combines a quantitative and a qualitative analysis of the use of should with non-past reference in the historical periods Old English, Middle English (ME), and Early Modern English (EModE). It is based on data from the Helsinki Corpus of English Texts and the Middle English Dictionary. The quantitative analysis detects a few late ME examples, but establishes EModE as the period when should with non-past reference became firmly established, and from the qualitative analysis the conclusion is derived that should as a competitor of the present subjunctive in mandative constructions developed as a result of its meaning extension from obligation to other shades of non-fact modality.
Chapters in this book
- Prelim pages i
- Table of contents v
- Acknowledgements vii
- Introduction 1
-
Part I. Phonology and morphology
- Chapter 1. Grimm’s Law and Verner’s Law 15
- Chapter 2. The foot in the history of English 41
- Chapter 3. Ambiguity resolution and the evolution of homophones in English 61
- Chapter 4. The threshold of productivity and the ‘irregularization’ of verbs in Early Modern English 91
-
Part II. Syntax
- Chapter 5. The reanalysis of VO in the history of English 115
- Chapter 6. The role of (the avoidance of) centre embedding in the change from OV to VO in English 137
- Chapter 7. Syntactic changes in verbal clauses and noun phrases from 1500 onwards 163
- Chapter 8. Prepositions in Early Modern English argument structure and beyond 201
- Chapter 9. Should with non-past reference 225
- Chapter 10. Shifting responsibility in passing information 245
-
Part III. Semantics and pragmatics
- Chapter 11. Theatrical practices and grammatical standardization in eighteenth-century Britain 263
- Chapter 12. Towards a companionate marriage in Late Modern England? 287
- Chapter 13. On the development of OE swā to ModE so and related changes in an atypical group of demonstratives 309
- Index 345
Chapters in this book
- Prelim pages i
- Table of contents v
- Acknowledgements vii
- Introduction 1
-
Part I. Phonology and morphology
- Chapter 1. Grimm’s Law and Verner’s Law 15
- Chapter 2. The foot in the history of English 41
- Chapter 3. Ambiguity resolution and the evolution of homophones in English 61
- Chapter 4. The threshold of productivity and the ‘irregularization’ of verbs in Early Modern English 91
-
Part II. Syntax
- Chapter 5. The reanalysis of VO in the history of English 115
- Chapter 6. The role of (the avoidance of) centre embedding in the change from OV to VO in English 137
- Chapter 7. Syntactic changes in verbal clauses and noun phrases from 1500 onwards 163
- Chapter 8. Prepositions in Early Modern English argument structure and beyond 201
- Chapter 9. Should with non-past reference 225
- Chapter 10. Shifting responsibility in passing information 245
-
Part III. Semantics and pragmatics
- Chapter 11. Theatrical practices and grammatical standardization in eighteenth-century Britain 263
- Chapter 12. Towards a companionate marriage in Late Modern England? 287
- Chapter 13. On the development of OE swā to ModE so and related changes in an atypical group of demonstratives 309
- Index 345
