Rare Constructions Are More Often Sentence‐Initial

Published on February 25, 2019

Abstract
Main clause phenomena (MCPs) are syntactic constructions that occur predominantly or exclusively in main clauses. I propose a processing explanation for MCPs. Sentence processing is easiest at the beginning of the sentence (requiring less search); this follows naturally from widely held assumptions about sentence processing. Because of this, a wider variety of constructions can be allowed at the beginning of the sentence without overwhelming the sentence‐processing mechanism. Unlike pragmatic and grammatical accounts of MCPs, the processing account predicts avoidance of MCPs in non‐initial main clauses (non‐initial coordinate clauses and premodified clauses). A corpus study supports these predictions, but it is somewhat inconclusive. A further corpus study examines another type of syntactic construction, premodifying adjunct phrases (“openers”); the prediction here is that less common types of opener will be especially avoided in non‐initial contexts. The prediction is confirmed, supporting the processing view of rare constructions.

Read Full Article (External Site)

Related posts:

  1. Experimental Directory Structure (Exdir): An Alternative to HDF5 Without Introducing a New File Format
  2. Sophora flavescens Aiton Decreases MPP+-Induced Mitochondrial Dysfunction in SH-SY5Y Cells
  3. A Critical Role of Autophagy in Regulating Microglia Polarization in Neurodegeneration
  4. Rigorous Neural Network Simulations: A Model Substantiation Methodology for Increasing the Correctness of Simulation Results in the Absence of Experimental Validation Data