John Benjamins Publishing Company
Sentential complementation of propose in recent British English
Abstract
This article examines the sentential complementation of propose from 1780 to the 1990s. The study is based on previous research on the use of the verb in the Corpus of Late Modern English Texts and the British National Corpus. The focus of the article is on control theory, and it tracks changes in the complement patterns and control structure of propose. The examination of the corpora shows that throughout the data, the to-infinitive is the most frequent complement of propose, followed by the that-clause and ‑ing clause. The to-infinitive has increased its proportion at the expense of other patterns. The control structure of propose is complex, as it allows subject, object, PP object as well as unspecified control, the latter increasing in use. The data indicate that most changes occur between 1780 and 1920, reinforcing the idea that the Late Modern English period was a time of significant change in the complementation systems of many predicates.
Abstract
This article examines the sentential complementation of propose from 1780 to the 1990s. The study is based on previous research on the use of the verb in the Corpus of Late Modern English Texts and the British National Corpus. The focus of the article is on control theory, and it tracks changes in the complement patterns and control structure of propose. The examination of the corpora shows that throughout the data, the to-infinitive is the most frequent complement of propose, followed by the that-clause and ‑ing clause. The to-infinitive has increased its proportion at the expense of other patterns. The control structure of propose is complex, as it allows subject, object, PP object as well as unspecified control, the latter increasing in use. The data indicate that most changes occur between 1780 and 1920, reinforcing the idea that the Late Modern English period was a time of significant change in the complementation systems of many predicates.
Chapters in this book
- Prelim pages i
- Table of contents v
- Acknowledgments vii
- Structures, patterns, constructions – studying variation and change in lexico-grammar 1
-
Part 1. Semantic description of constructions
- Talk into vs convince to 15
- Passive permissives 31
- Goldberg’s Rely On construction 55
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Part 2. Variation and change in complementation patterns
- Aspects of the use of the transitive into -ing pattern in New Zealand English 71
- Complementation of ashamed – diachrony and determinants of variation 89
- Sentential complementation of propose in recent British English 109
- The use of optional complement markers in present-day English 129
- Patterns of direct transitivization and differences between British and American English 151
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Part 3. The emergence of new patterns
- I would like to request for your attention 171
- The development of infinitival complementation with or without language contact 197
- Anglicising Finnish complementation? Examining the rakastan puhua (‘I love to speak’) structure in present-day Finnish 215
- Author index 233
- Subject index 235
Chapters in this book
- Prelim pages i
- Table of contents v
- Acknowledgments vii
- Structures, patterns, constructions – studying variation and change in lexico-grammar 1
-
Part 1. Semantic description of constructions
- Talk into vs convince to 15
- Passive permissives 31
- Goldberg’s Rely On construction 55
-
Part 2. Variation and change in complementation patterns
- Aspects of the use of the transitive into -ing pattern in New Zealand English 71
- Complementation of ashamed – diachrony and determinants of variation 89
- Sentential complementation of propose in recent British English 109
- The use of optional complement markers in present-day English 129
- Patterns of direct transitivization and differences between British and American English 151
-
Part 3. The emergence of new patterns
- I would like to request for your attention 171
- The development of infinitival complementation with or without language contact 197
- Anglicising Finnish complementation? Examining the rakastan puhua (‘I love to speak’) structure in present-day Finnish 215
- Author index 233
- Subject index 235
