Adverbial subordination across variety types: A synchronic analysis of the syntax and semantics of since- and while-clauses in ENL, ESL, and EFL
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Sven Leuckert
Abstract
Adverbial subordination with since and while has been studied from various angles, but never with regard to potential differences and similarities between English as a Native Language (ENL), English as a Second Language (ESL), and English as a Foreign Language (EFL). In this study, spoken and written components of the International Corpus of English (ICE) for Great Britain, Hong Kong, and Singapore, as well as spoken and written portions of the International Corpus Network of Asian Learners of English (ICNALE), are analyzed with regard to the syntax and semantics of since- and while-clauses. In addition to providing a general synchronic survey of the semantic and syntactic properties of clauses introduced by since and while, this paper also compares usage patterns in different varieties of English. Qualitative and quantitative analyses reveal that Asian EFL sometimes resembles ENL and sometimes ESL, which suggests a largely exonormative orientation with some first signs of (potential) innovations. Cross-varietal analyses using conditional inference trees and random forests reveal that the length of since- and while-clauses is most heavily influenced by the semantics of a clause. The position of since-clauses, however, is most dependent on variety status, whereas the position of while-clauses is most dependent on clause meaning.
Abstract
Adverbial subordination with since and while has been studied from various angles, but never with regard to potential differences and similarities between English as a Native Language (ENL), English as a Second Language (ESL), and English as a Foreign Language (EFL). In this study, spoken and written components of the International Corpus of English (ICE) for Great Britain, Hong Kong, and Singapore, as well as spoken and written portions of the International Corpus Network of Asian Learners of English (ICNALE), are analyzed with regard to the syntax and semantics of since- and while-clauses. In addition to providing a general synchronic survey of the semantic and syntactic properties of clauses introduced by since and while, this paper also compares usage patterns in different varieties of English. Qualitative and quantitative analyses reveal that Asian EFL sometimes resembles ENL and sometimes ESL, which suggests a largely exonormative orientation with some first signs of (potential) innovations. Cross-varietal analyses using conditional inference trees and random forests reveal that the length of since- and while-clauses is most heavily influenced by the semantics of a clause. The position of since-clauses, however, is most dependent on variety status, whereas the position of while-clauses is most dependent on clause meaning.
Kapitel in diesem Buch
- Frontmatter I
- Preface V
- Contents VII
- Subordination, or the permanent allure of the “adjacent possible” 1
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Part I: Diachronic perspectives on subordination
- From flying Sancho to swooning Altisidora: The changing use of premodifying present participles in three English translations of Cervantes’ Don Quijote 25
- Because science! Notes on a variable conjunction 43
- That-clauses as complements of verbs or nouns 61
- Semantic roles as a factor affecting complement choice: a case study with data from COHA 85
- Expanding the type you can’t help laughing 103
- -Ing clauses in spoken English: structure, usage and recent change 129
- Resourceful ways of recruiting members: The origin and development of Mental zero-Secondary Predicate Constructions 155
- The rise of long catenative constructions in Modern English: new sub-schemas and new stylistic options 185
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Part II: Subordination in Present-day Englishes
- Catenative get in World Englishes 211
- Adverbial subordination across variety types: A synchronic analysis of the syntax and semantics of since- and while-clauses in ENL, ESL, and EFL 235
- Whatever the specific circumstances, …: A Construction Grammar perspective of wh-ever clauses in English 263
- A sociolinguistic study of relativizers in spoken Philippines English 285
- Subject index 309
Kapitel in diesem Buch
- Frontmatter I
- Preface V
- Contents VII
- Subordination, or the permanent allure of the “adjacent possible” 1
-
Part I: Diachronic perspectives on subordination
- From flying Sancho to swooning Altisidora: The changing use of premodifying present participles in three English translations of Cervantes’ Don Quijote 25
- Because science! Notes on a variable conjunction 43
- That-clauses as complements of verbs or nouns 61
- Semantic roles as a factor affecting complement choice: a case study with data from COHA 85
- Expanding the type you can’t help laughing 103
- -Ing clauses in spoken English: structure, usage and recent change 129
- Resourceful ways of recruiting members: The origin and development of Mental zero-Secondary Predicate Constructions 155
- The rise of long catenative constructions in Modern English: new sub-schemas and new stylistic options 185
-
Part II: Subordination in Present-day Englishes
- Catenative get in World Englishes 211
- Adverbial subordination across variety types: A synchronic analysis of the syntax and semantics of since- and while-clauses in ENL, ESL, and EFL 235
- Whatever the specific circumstances, …: A Construction Grammar perspective of wh-ever clauses in English 263
- A sociolinguistic study of relativizers in spoken Philippines English 285
- Subject index 309
