Determinants of Grammatical Variation in English (Topics in English Linguistics [TiEL] Book 43)

What factors influence the choice between alternative grammatical structures such as the following: __a lit / a lighted cigarette, more full / fuller of convincing arguments, the main thesis of the book / the book's main thesis, take hostage a group of 15 holiday makers / take a group of 15 holidaymakers hostage, conceding that the argument is convincing / conceding the argument to be convincing__? This is the central issue explored in this volume, which contains a unique selection of innovative in-depth empirical studies written in a broadly functional framework. The factors investigated include the following: phonological influences (such as the principle of rhythmic alternation and optimal syllable structure), frequency, pervasive semantic and pragmatic aspects (including iconicity, markedness, grammaticalization and typological tendencies), information structure, processing complexity and horror aequi (the avoidance of identity effects). Frequency As A Determinant In Grammatical Variation And Change / Manfred Krug -- Phonological Determinants Of Grammatical Variation In English: Chomsky's Worst Possible Case / Julia Schluter -- Post-verbal Constituent Ordering In English / Thomas Wasow And Jennifer Arnold -- Grammatical Variation In English: A Question Of 'structure Vs. Function'? / Stefan Th. Gries -- Why Are Zero-marked Phrases Close To Their Heads? / John A. Hawkins -- Cognitive Complexity And Horror Aequi As Factors Determining The Use Of Interrogative Clause Linkers In English / Gunter Rohdenburg -- Support For More-support / Britta Mondorf -- The Role Of Extractions And Horror Aequi In The Evolution Of -ing- Complements In Modern English / Uwe Vosberg -- Gerundial Complements After Begin And Start: Grammatical And Sociolinguistic Factors, And How They Work Against Each Other / Christian Mair -- Is There Semantics In All Syntax? The Case Of Accusative And Infinitive Constructions Vs. That-clauses / Dirk Noel -- Aspects Of Iconicity And Economy In The Choice Between The S-genitive And The Of-genitive In English / Anette Rosenbach -- Constructional Semantics As A Limit To Grammatical Alternation: The Two Genitives Of English / Anatol Stefanowitsch -- Principles Of Grammaticalization And Linguistic Reality / Olga C. M. Fischer -- Varieties Of English From A Cross-linguistic Perspective: Intensifiers And Reflexives / Peter Siemund -- Non-standard English And Typological Principles: The Case Of Negation / Lieselotte Anderwald -- 'every Place Has A Different Toll': Determinants Of Grammatical Variation In Cross-variety Perspective / Sali A. Tagliamonte. Edited By Günter Rohdenburg, Britta Mondorf. Includes Bibliographical References And Index. Introduction Frequency as a determinant in grammatical variation and change Phonological determinants of grammatical variation in English: Chomsky’s worst possible case Post-verbal constituent ordering in English Grammatical variation in English: A question of ‘structure vs. function’? Why are zero-marked phrases close to their heads? Cognitive complexity and horror aequi as factors determining the use of interrogative clause linkers in English Support for more-support The role of extractions and horror aequi in the evolution of -ing- complements in Modern English Gerundial complements after begin and start: Grammatical and sociolinguistic factors, and how they work against each other Is there semantics in all syntax? The case of accusative and infinitive constructions vs. that-clauses Aspects of iconicity and economy in the choice between the s-genitive and the of-genitive in English Constructional semantics as a limit to grammatical alternation: The two genitives of English Principles of grammaticalization and linguistic reality Varieties of English from a cross-linguistic perspective: Intensifiers and reflexives Non-standard English and typological principles: The case of negation ‘Every place has a different toll’: Determinants of grammatical variation in cross-variety perspective Author index Subject index

What factors influence the choice between alternative grammatical structures such as the following: a lit / a lighted cigarette, more full / fuller of convincing arguments, the main thesis of the book / the book's main thesis, take hostage a group of 15 holiday makers / take a group of 15 holidaymakers hostage, conceding that the argument is convincing / conceding the argument to be convincing? This is the central issue explored in this volume, which contains a unique selection of innovative in-depth empirical studies written in a broadly functional framework. The factors investigated include the following: phonological influences (such as the principle of rhythmic alternation and optimal syllable structure), frequency, pervasive semantic and pragmatic aspects (including iconicity, markedness, grammaticalization and typological tendencies), information structure, processing complexity and horror aequi (the avoidance of identity effects).

During the last decade the role of frequency in the description of language and language change has received considerable attention, in particular from linguists working from a functionalist or usage-based perspective (see e.g. the papers in Bybee and Hopper 2001). This text explores a range of factors that have a bearing on the choice of grammatical variants, but are generally overlooked. These include: phonological influences; frequency; and pervasive semantic and pragmatic aspects.