Contents

Chapters in this book

1. I-IV I
2. Contents V
3. Introduction 1
4. Frequency as a determinant in grammatical variation and change 7
5. Phonological determinants of grammatical variation in English: Chomsky's worst possible case 69
6. Post-verbal constituent ordering in English 119
7. Grammatical variation in English: A question of 'structure vs. function'? 155
8. Why are zero-marked phrases close to their heads? 175
9. Cognitive complexity and horror aequi as factors determining the use of interrogative clause linkers in English 205
10. Support for more-support 251
11. The role of extractions and horror aequi in the evolution of -ing complements in Modern English 305
12. Gerundial complements after begin and start: Grammatical and sociolinguistic factors, and how they work against each other 329
13. Is there semantics in all syntax? The case of accusative and infinitive constructions vs. that-clauses 347
14. Aspects of iconicity and economy in the choice between the s-genitive and the of-genitive in English 379
15. Constructional semantics as a limit to grammatical alternation: The two genitives of English 413
16. Principles of grammaticalization and linguistic reality 445
17. Varieties of English from a cross-linguistic perspective: Intensifiers and reflexives 479
18. Non-standard English and typological principles: The case of negation 507
19. 'Every place has a different toll': Determinants of grammatical variation in cross-variety perspective 531
20. Author index 555
21. Subject index 561