In:A Construction Grammar of the English Language: CASA – a Constructionist Approach to Syntactic Analysis
Thomas Herbst and Thomas Hoffmann
[Cognitive Linguistics in Practice 5] 2024
► pp. v–xiv
Published online: 24 October 2024
https://doi.org/10.1075/clip.5.toc
https://doi.org/10.1075/clip.5.toc
Table of contents
PrefaceXV
Chapter 1.Introduction1
1.1Why Construction Grammar1
1.2What is Construction Grammar2
1.3What is a construction4
1.3.1Definitions of construction4
1.3.2Simple words as constructions6
1.3.3Complex words as constructions6
1.3.4Idioms as constructions7
1.3.5Schematicity of constructions8
1.3.6Collocations as constructions10
1.3.7Lexico-grammatical space11
1.4How do we learn constructions13
1.4.1Segmentation and pattern finding13
1.4.2Entrenchment and pre-emption14
1.5How do constructions combine15
1.6Form and meaning in Construction Grammar18
1.7Construction Grammar as a model of linguistic description20
Chapter 2.Conventional wisdom: A chapter some readers might want to skip22
2.1The purpose of this chapter: Reminding you of things you already know22
2.2Word classes22
2.3Phrases, clauses and sentences25
2.4Clause constituents27
2.5Semantic roles28
Chapter 3.Sentence type constructions30
3.1Starting with children30
3.2From illocution to the semantic properties of different sentence types30
3.3Basic sentence type constructions32
3.3.1Subject and predicate32
3.3.2Declarative and interrogative constructions33
3.3.3Imperative constructions36
3.3.4Exclamative constructions39
3.4Sentence type fragments39
3.5The role of sentence type constructions in CASA42
Chapter 4.The roles of verbs43
4.1Introduction43
4.1.1Language acquisition and adult language use43
4.1.2A methodological question45
4.2Expressing different degrees of certainty48
4.2.1Yes, no, possibly or perhaps48
4.2.2The English modals49
4.2.3Form and meaning of modal constructions49
4.2.4Combining modal and other constructions50
4.3Using verbs to refer to time51
4.3.1Problems of the morphological analysis of English verb forms51
4.3.2Tense and person constructions53
4.3.2.1Present and past-tense constructions53
4.3.2.2Combining tense constructions with other constructions57
4.3.3Referring to the future58
4.3.3.1Referring to future time with the will construction58
4.3.3.2The be-going-to-v construction59
4.3.4Other multi-word constructions used to express ‘time’60
4.4The progressive construction61
4.5The perfective construction62
4.5.1Form and meaning of the perfective construction62
4.5.2Relating the perfective construction to other constructions64
4.6The passive construction64
4.6.1Active and passive64
4.6.2Combining the passive construction with other constructions66
4.7More complex combinations66
4.8Subjunctive mood constructions67
4.9Negation and the do-support construction68
Chapter 5.Who does what to whom? Argument structure constructions70
5.1General introduction70
5.1.1Ways of looking at argument structure70
5.1.2The emergence of argument structure constructions70
5.1.3Argument structure constructions at different levels of abstraction74
5.1.3.1Valency constructions and pre-emption74
5.1.3.2Participant roles and argument roles75
5.1.3.3Levels of knowledge associated with argument structure constructions77
5.2The CASA framework of argument structure constructions80
5.2.1Specification of argument structure constructions in CASA80
5.2.2Specification of argument slots: Subj-, Obj- and Attr-arguments81
5.2.3Why Subj does not automatically mean SUBJ82
5.2.4Argument roles84
5.2.5Names of constructions84
5.2.6Subj-arguments85
5.3A one-argument construction: The English intransitive construction86
5.4æffector and æffected: Monotransitive constructions86
5.4.1Monotransitive constructions86
5.4.1.1The monotransitive construction with ObjNP86
5.4.1.2Monotransitive constructions with clausal objects88
5.4.2Introducing a recipient: Ditransitive constructions88
5.4.2.1The ditransitive construction with ObjNP88
5.4.2.2Ditransitive constructions with clausal objects90
5.5Motion constructions92
5.5.1Self-motion and caused-motion92
5.5.2caused-motion and to-recipient constructions94
5.6Attribute and resultative constructions95
5.6.1subject-attribute constructions95
5.6.2object-attribute constructions96
5.6.3A note on resultative constructions97
5.7Constructions with prepositional objects99
5.7.1General characterization99
5.7.2change-of-state and into-causative constructions100
5.7.3focus-area and reference-area: ObjPP:about and ObjPP:on101
5.7.4Communication partners: to-recipient/goal and with-partner103
5.7.5Instrument and emotion104
5.7.6The English conative construction105
5.7.7desired-thing constructions106
5.7.8The nature of prepositional objects108
5.8Perspectivization of arguments108
5.8.1Actives and passives108
5.8.2Discrepancies between active and passive expressions of arguments109
5.8.3Perspectivization110
5.8.4The mediopassive construction111
5.9Combining argument structure constructions with sentence type constructions112
5.10Adjectival argument structure constructions113
5.10.1Argument structure constructions across word classes113
5.10.2General design of adjective argument structure constructions114
5.10.3Adjectival argument structure constructions with prepositional phrases116
5.10.4Adjectival argument structure constructions with that- and wh-clauses117
5.10.5Different types of infinitive constructions with adjectives: BE-ADJ-TO-V CONSTRUCTIONS117
5.10.5.1difficultetc-to-infinitive
construction118
5.10.5.2willingetc-to-infinitive construction119
5.10.5.3braveetc-to-infinitive construction120
5.10.5.4The surprisedetc-to-infinitive construction120
5.10.5.5Adjective+infinitive constructions with quasi-modal meanings121
5.10.6Impersonal constructions with adjectives123
5.10.6.1it-that-clause construction123
5.10.6.2The it-be-importantetc-for-x-to-infinitive
construction124
5.10.6.3The it-be-importantetc-for-beneficiary-to-infinitive
construction125
5.10.6.4The niceetc-of-x-to-infinitive
construction125
5.10.6.5Impersonal adjective construction without PPs126
5.11Nominal argument structure constructions126
5.12A network of argument structure constructions128
5.13Argument structure in CASA and other approaches130
Chapter 6.Referring to, describing and evaluating things: Nominal constructions132
6.1Nouns and pronouns in language acquisition132
6.2Characteristics of NP-constructions133
6.2.1NPs can fill the same slots133
6.2.2NPs can be used to refer to ‘things’133
6.2.2.1Reference133
6.2.2.2Grounding elements137
6.2.3A family of NP-constructions138
6.2.4Proper nouns, count and mass nouns138
6.3Indefinite NP-constructions141
6.4Definite NP-constructions142
6.4.1the + nouns142
6.4.2Personal pronoun constructions143
6.4.3Reflexive NP-constructions144
6.4.4Reciprocal constructions145
6.4.5Genitive and possessive constructions146
6.5Demonstrative NP-constructions147
6.6Quantifying NP-constructions148
6.6.1Numerical NP-constructions148
6.6.2General quantifier NP-constructions149
6.7Ranking NP-constructions151
6.8Wh-NP-constructions152
6.9Name and title constructions152
6.10Noun phrases154
6.10.1Basic NP-constructions154
6.10.2Modifier-of-noun constructions154
6.10.2.1Premodifier-of-noun constructions154
6.10.2.2Postmodifier-of-noun constructions155
6.10.2.3Discontinuous modifier-of-noun constructions156
6.10.3A simplified, integrated view of NP-constructions157
6.10.4Shortcut representations159
Chapter 7.Using adjectives to evaluate, describe and compare162
7.1Adjectives and adverbs162
7.1.1Uses of adjectives162
7.1.2The adjective construction163
7.1.3The premodifier-of-noun construction165
7.1.4Item-relatedness in attributive and predicative uses165
7.2Expressing degree166
7.2.1Modifier-of-adjective constructions166
7.2.1.1Premodifier constructions166
7.2.1.2Postmodifier constructions166
7.2.1.3Discontinuous modifier constructions167
7.2.2Expressing maximum degree167
7.3Collocational parallels between adverb-adjective and adjective noun patterns169
7.4Comparing things170
7.4.1The comparative construction170
7.4.2The more-than-comparison construction171
7.4.3Ways of expressing difference and likeness174
Chapter 8.Where, when and how: Specification of circumstances176
8.1Going beyond “who does what to whom”176
8.2Constructions situating an event with respect to location and time176
8.2.1Different ways of expressing similar meanings176
8.2.2Point of location177
8.2.3Time178
8.3Constructions detailing the way the action described is carried out179
8.4Constructions that situate the event described within the domain of causation and interrelatedness of ‘things’180
8.5Constructions that express an assessment of the event described by the speaker181
8.6Constructions that situate the event described within the text182
8.7The gradient character of these distinctions182
8.8The syntactic status of adjunct constructions184
8.8.1Integration in sentences and utterances184
8.8.2Adjunct constructions185
8.8.3point in time and point of location as adjuncts or arguments188
8.8.4change-of-location constructions and multiple realization189
8.8.5The (ir)relevance of the argument vs. adjunct distinction191
8.8.6Vocatives191
Chapter 9.Joining ideas and clauses192
9.1Compression through blending192
9.2Coordination192
9.2.1Asyndetic and syndetic coordination192
9.2.2Levels of coordination193
9.2.3Additive coordination constructions193
9.3Connectors and Connection Constructions in general195
9.3.1Connectors as a word class195
9.3.2Connection constructions196
9.3.3Connection constructions with only one expressed connectee197
9.4Reasoning in discourse197
9.4.1Discourse organization197
9.4.1.1More on addition197
9.4.1.2Sequence198
9.4.2Contrast198
9.4.3Why: Cause199
9.4.4Conditions199
9.4.5scope
9.5Linguistic implications202
Chapter 10.Information structure constructions203
10.1Information structure and construal203
10.2Reference: Which ‘thing’ are we exactly talking about?204
10.3Topic: What are we talking about? – Focus: What’s new?206
10.4Summary214
Chapter 11.Speaking idiomatically: Prefabricated chunks as low-level constructions215
11.1Idiomaticity215
11.1.1The idiom principle215
11.2Idioms as constructions216
11.3Constructions involving particles218
11.3.1Verb-particle constructions218
11.3.2Constructions with two particles223
11.4Collocation224
11.5Small-scale constructions225
11.5.1The let-alone construction225
11.5.2The god-knows construction227
11.5.3The comparative-correlative construction227
11.6Outlook230
Chapter 12.Solving problems with construction grammar231
12.1Ligature231
12.2Reporting what other people have said232
12.2.1The quotative construction232
12.2.2referring-to-source construction233
12.2.3Indirect speech234
12.3Tag constructions234
12.4Constructions with it and there235
12.4.1Existential there235
12.4.2Other constructions with there and here236
12.4.3Constructions with impersonal it236
12.4.3.1Weather verbs236
12.4.3.2Impersonal constructions with verbs, adjectives and nouns237
Chapter 13.Words as constructions in a constructional network239
13.1Words239
13.1.1Word-lemmata and word-forms239
13.1.2Words as nodes in networks240
13.1.3A note on polysemy241
13.2From words to word classes: Similarities between words243
13.2.1Aspects of word learning243
13.2.2Plausibility244
13.2.3Dual class membership244
13.2.4The CASA category of particles245
13.2.4.1Particles and the traditional distinction between prepositions, adverbs and conjunctions245
13.2.4.2Complex particles248
13.2.5Adverbs249
13.2.6Determiners and pronouns250
13.2.7Wh-words251
13.2.8The limits of classification252
13.2.9Summary253
13.3CASA word classes255
13.3.1Survey255
13.3.2Words that play a part in establishing reference to a ‘thing’255
13.3.2.1Nouns255
13.3.2.2Pronouns255
13.3.2.3Demonstratives256
13.3.2.4Numerals257
13.3.2.5Quantifiers258
13.3.2.6Articles258
13.3.3Words that refer to relationships situated in time259
13.3.3.1Verbs259
13.3.3.2Modals259
13.3.4Words that have a descriptive or evaluation function260
13.3.4.1Adjectives260
13.3.4.2Adverbs260
13.3.5Words that refer to atemporal relationships261
13.3.5.1Particles261
13.3.5.2Connectors262
13.3.6Interjections263
13.3.7Items defying further classification263
13.3.7.1Who, whose, whom, which, what, why, where, when, and how263
13.3.7.2So263
13.3.7.3As264
13.3.7.4Not264
Chapter 14.Word order265
14.1The functions of word order in English265
14.1.1Meaning, textual organization, and processing265
14.1.2Word order in construction grammar267
14.2Word order and language processing268
14.2.1Noun phrases268
14.2.2Verbs in finite clauses270
14.3Word order in argument structure constructions270
14.4The position of adjunct constructions271
14.5Inversion274
Chapter 15.Putting it all together: Blending constructions275
15.1From constructions to constructs275
15.2Combining constructions275
15.2.1Juxtaposition and superimposition275
15.2.2Conceptual Blending as the cognitive process of construction276
15.3CASA construction grids277
15.4Sample analysis278
References287
Appendix I.List of argument and other semantic roles302
Appendix II.Index of constructions (see www.constructicon.de)304
II.1Sentence type cxns304
II.2Modal, aspect, tense and voice constructions304
II.3Argument structure constructions306
II.4Noun phrase constructions307
II.5Adjective constructions308
II.6Adjunct constructions309
II.7Other constructions309
