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Article published In: Constructions and Frames
Vol. 17:2 (2025) ► pp.278–312

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Definite null instantiation in English(es)

A Usage-based Construction Grammar approach

ORCiD logo with link | Catholic University of Eichstätt-Ingolstadt
Published online: 17 July 2025
DOI logo with link
https://doi.org/10.1075/cf.24007.bus
Abstract
This study examines the theoretical status as well as the quantitative distribution of subjects with Definite Null Instantiation (DNI) readings in Standard British English, Hong Kong English, and Singapore English from the perspective of Usage-based Construction Grammar. Following an extensive review of previous theoretical treatments, I propose an alternative formalization of DNI as a both schematic and semantically rich construction. Based on spoken data from the International Corpus of English, random forests and logistic regression models were then fitted to complement the theoretical model of DNI with distributional data, taking into account both intra- and extra-linguistic predictors. The models reveal significant differences between L1- and L2-usage; the extent of these constructional reconfigurations is best explained by a combination of substrate influence and the socio-cognitive stability of the L2-varieties.
Article outline
  • 1.Introduction
  • 2.Null Instantiation
    • 2.1The current state
    • 2.2The Subject DNI construction
  • 3.Subject DNI in New Englishes
    • 3.1Singapore English and Hong Kong English: A short overview
    • 3.2Null subjects in Englishes
  • 4.Data and methods
  • 5.Results
    • 5.1Overview and examples
    • 5.2Models of null subjects
      • 5.2.1Pronominal Reference
      • 5.2.2Null subject Types
  • 6.Contact-induced constructional change
  • 7.Conclusion
  • Data availability statement
  • Notes
  • References
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