The mandative subjunctive in spoken English
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Pam Peters
Abstract
Regional variation of the mandative subjunctive has come to light during the twentieth century, with corpus-based research showing it to be standard usage in American English whereas its currency in British English was limited. This research reviews the use of the mandative in spoken data from six ICE-corpora, to show marked regional differences among both settler and indigenized varieties of English. While its currency in spoken data from New Zealand is relatively low, it is on a par with written usage in Australian English, as well as Singaporean and Philippine English. However spoken instances of the mandative are typically found in public and institutional dialogue/monologue, rather than private conversation, so that it cannot be said to have become vernacularised.
Abstract
Regional variation of the mandative subjunctive has come to light during the twentieth century, with corpus-based research showing it to be standard usage in American English whereas its currency in British English was limited. This research reviews the use of the mandative in spoken data from six ICE-corpora, to show marked regional differences among both settler and indigenized varieties of English. While its currency in spoken data from New Zealand is relatively low, it is on a par with written usage in Australian English, as well as Singaporean and Philippine English. However spoken instances of the mandative are typically found in public and institutional dialogue/monologue, rather than private conversation, so that it cannot be said to have become vernacularised.
Chapters in this book
- Prelim pages i
- Table of contents v
- List of abbreviations vii
- List of contributors ix
- Prologue 1
-
Section I. Morphology
- Irregular verbs 13
- Pronoun forms 31
- Hypocoristics in New Zealand and Australian English 49
-
Section II. Verbs and verb phrases
- Modals and quasi-modals 73
- The perfect and the preterite in Australian and New Zealand English 89
- The progressive 115
- The mandative subjunctive in spoken English 125
- Light verbs in Australian, New Zealand and British English 139
-
Section III. Nouns and noun phrases
- Non-numerical quantifiers 159
- From chairman to chairwoman to chairperson 183
-
Section IV. Clauses and sentences
- Concord with collective nouns in Australian and New Zealand English 207
- No in the lexicogrammar of English 225
- Zero complementizer, syntactic context, and regional variety 243
- Infinitival and gerundial complements 263
- Commas and connective adverbs 277
-
Section V. Discourse
- Information-packaging constructions 295
- Like and other discourse markers 317
- Final but in Australian English conversation 339
- Swearing 361
- Epilogue 387
- Index 401
Chapters in this book
- Prelim pages i
- Table of contents v
- List of abbreviations vii
- List of contributors ix
- Prologue 1
-
Section I. Morphology
- Irregular verbs 13
- Pronoun forms 31
- Hypocoristics in New Zealand and Australian English 49
-
Section II. Verbs and verb phrases
- Modals and quasi-modals 73
- The perfect and the preterite in Australian and New Zealand English 89
- The progressive 115
- The mandative subjunctive in spoken English 125
- Light verbs in Australian, New Zealand and British English 139
-
Section III. Nouns and noun phrases
- Non-numerical quantifiers 159
- From chairman to chairwoman to chairperson 183
-
Section IV. Clauses and sentences
- Concord with collective nouns in Australian and New Zealand English 207
- No in the lexicogrammar of English 225
- Zero complementizer, syntactic context, and regional variety 243
- Infinitival and gerundial complements 263
- Commas and connective adverbs 277
-
Section V. Discourse
- Information-packaging constructions 295
- Like and other discourse markers 317
- Final but in Australian English conversation 339
- Swearing 361
- Epilogue 387
- Index 401
