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In:Register and Discourse through the Lens of Corpus Linguistics
Edited by Nuria Yáñez-Bouza, Dolores González-Álvarez and Esperanza Rama-Martínez
[Studies in Corpus Linguistics 127] 2026
► pp. 43–70

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Chapter 2
Investigating the role of no(t)-fragments in colloquialization

 | Universidade de Vigo
Published online: 24 March 2026
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https://doi.org/10.1075/scl.127.02aba
Abstract
This chapter investigates colloquialization in British English through an analysis of no(t)-fragments, that is, stand-alone noncanonical constructions beginning with no or not (e.g., no doubt, not in a million years). While such fragments are normally associated with conversation, they are not uncommon in writing, suggesting that colloquialization can help explain their distribution across registers. Building on prior research connecting clausal no- and not-negation to writing and speech styles, this study explores whether no(t)-fragments follow similar trends. A comparison between the 1994 and the 2014 versions of the British National Corpus shows an increase in the use of no(t)-fragments over time and a marked preference for them in speech-related contexts. Crucially, while no(t)-fragments decline in conversation, they increase in writing. Rather than colloquialization, these observations reflect register levelling, a process that narrows the stylistic gap between speech and writing.
Article outline
  • 1.Introduction
  • 2.No(t)-fragments and colloquialization
  • 3.Research questions
  • 4.Data retrieval
  • 5.Results and discussion
  • 6.Conclusion
  • Acknowledgements
  • Notes
  • References
References (62)
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