Inter-level mismatches in English coordinated partitives
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Evelien Keizer
Abstract
This chapter provides a Functional Discourse Grammar (FDG) analysis of various kinds of co-denotational partitive constructions (e.g. one of the boys, some of them and one of the boys and girls), concentrating on the interfaces between their interpersonal, representational and morphosyntactic structures. Using data from two corpora - the British National Corpus (BUY-BNC) and the Corpus of Contemporary American English (COCA), the paper sets out to account for the “elliptical” nature of partitive constructions in general, before moving on to the additional mismatches found in different kinds of partitives with coordinated embedded NPs (e.g. one of the owners and the players; one of the founders and owners; one of the boys and girls). It is demonstrated that the distinctive features of the FDG model (its top-down organization, its function-to-form approach and its four independent levels of analysis) allow us to identify and capture the mismatches involved in the use of these constructions. Furthermore, it is argued that, although the presence of several mismatches in partitive constructions with coordinated embedded NPs may make them less transparent, this is compensated for by the fact that these mismatches serve a communicative purpose, and as such are only allowed under specific, clearly identifiable circumstances.
Abstract
This chapter provides a Functional Discourse Grammar (FDG) analysis of various kinds of co-denotational partitive constructions (e.g. one of the boys, some of them and one of the boys and girls), concentrating on the interfaces between their interpersonal, representational and morphosyntactic structures. Using data from two corpora - the British National Corpus (BUY-BNC) and the Corpus of Contemporary American English (COCA), the paper sets out to account for the “elliptical” nature of partitive constructions in general, before moving on to the additional mismatches found in different kinds of partitives with coordinated embedded NPs (e.g. one of the owners and the players; one of the founders and owners; one of the boys and girls). It is demonstrated that the distinctive features of the FDG model (its top-down organization, its function-to-form approach and its four independent levels of analysis) allow us to identify and capture the mismatches involved in the use of these constructions. Furthermore, it is argued that, although the presence of several mismatches in partitive constructions with coordinated embedded NPs may make them less transparent, this is compensated for by the fact that these mismatches serve a communicative purpose, and as such are only allowed under specific, clearly identifiable circumstances.
Chapters in this book
- Frontmatter I
- Contents V
- Abbreviations VII
- Functional Discourse Grammar: Blueprint and interfaces 1
- Interfaces, mismatches, and the architecture of Functional Discourse Grammar 15
- Grammar in 5D: The interface design of a mismatching grammar 59
- Phonology and phonetics in Functional Discourse Grammar: Interfaces, mismatches, and the direction of processing 101
- Noun incorporation in Functional Discourse Grammar 127
- A Functional Discourse Grammar typology of reflexives, with some notes on reciprocals 175
- Serial verb constructions, interface mismatches and Functional Discourse Grammar 229
- A Functional Discourse Grammar account of voice in Plains Algonquian Languages 259
- The English ‘Time-measurement construction’ as a case of gradience: A Functional Discourse Grammar approach 303
- Inter-level mismatches in English coordinated partitives 337
- A Functional Discourse Grammar account of postnominal modification in English 369
- Meaning-to-form mismatches in Functional Discourse Grammar and Systemic Functional Grammar: A case study of the English discourse connective however 399
- Subject Index 433
- Name Index 437
- Language Index 445
Chapters in this book
- Frontmatter I
- Contents V
- Abbreviations VII
- Functional Discourse Grammar: Blueprint and interfaces 1
- Interfaces, mismatches, and the architecture of Functional Discourse Grammar 15
- Grammar in 5D: The interface design of a mismatching grammar 59
- Phonology and phonetics in Functional Discourse Grammar: Interfaces, mismatches, and the direction of processing 101
- Noun incorporation in Functional Discourse Grammar 127
- A Functional Discourse Grammar typology of reflexives, with some notes on reciprocals 175
- Serial verb constructions, interface mismatches and Functional Discourse Grammar 229
- A Functional Discourse Grammar account of voice in Plains Algonquian Languages 259
- The English ‘Time-measurement construction’ as a case of gradience: A Functional Discourse Grammar approach 303
- Inter-level mismatches in English coordinated partitives 337
- A Functional Discourse Grammar account of postnominal modification in English 369
- Meaning-to-form mismatches in Functional Discourse Grammar and Systemic Functional Grammar: A case study of the English discourse connective however 399
- Subject Index 433
- Name Index 437
- Language Index 445
