Inverse copular constructions

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In linguistics, inverse copular construction , named after Moro (1997), is a type of inversion in English where the word canonical SCP ( s ubject- c opula- p reditive expression, for example Fred is a plumber ) is reversed in a sense, so someone seems to have a PCS order instead ( p expression redikatif- c opula- s ubject, eg Plumber is Fred ). The verb in this construction is always copula be ( i , is , is , is , is ). The inverted construction of copulars is interesting because they make the distinction between subject and predicative expression difficult to maintain. Confusion has led to the study of this constructed focus, and its impact on grammatical theory may be great because they seem to challenge the initial binary division of the sentence (S) into the subject noun phrase (NP) and the predicate verb phrase (S -> NP VP) , this division becomes the core of all grammatical phrase structures (as opposed to grammatical dependencies, which do not recognize binary division).

Video Inverse copular constructions

Example

Distorted copular construction involves nouns and nouns, but they do not allow the nominal post-copula to be a personal pronoun:

a. The cause of the riots is the image on the wall.

b. A picture on the wall is the cause of the riot . - Inverted copular construction

c. * The picture on the wall it . - The subject of a verb can not be a person's pronoun.

a. Fred is a plumber.

b. The plumber is Fred . - Inverted copular construction

c. * The plumber is him . - The subject of a verb can not be a person's pronoun.

The defining feature of inverted copular construction is that two inversion counts seem to have occurred: the normal subject has been reversed to the post-verb position, and the nominal predictive has been reversed to the pre-verb position. The verb is a limited form of copula 'be' ( me , is , is , is , is ). This type of inversion is generally NOT possible with other verbs.

Maps Inverse copular constructions

Subject-verb agreement

The inverted copular construction in which the reverse predictive expression is a paraphrase phrase is partially noted because the subject-verb agreement can (at least in English) be set with predictive pre-verb NP as opposed to the post-verb subject N, eg.

a. Images are issue. - Canonical word order, standard verb-subject agreement

b. The problem is/ ^?? is the image . - Inverted copular construction, subject-verb agreement is reversed in the meaning

a. The children are disorder. - Canonical word order, standard verb-subject agreement

b. Disorder is/ ^?? are the children . - Inverted copular construction, subject-verb agreement is reversed in the meaning

In inverse kopular invariant, copula agrees with a single predicative expression to the left as opposed to the plural subject on the right. This phenomenon seems to be limited to English (and possibly French); does not occur in related languages ​​such as German, e.g.

a. Die Bilder sind ein Problem. - Subject deal-canonical verb

'The pictures are a problem.'

b. Ein Problem sind/* ist die Bilder . - Plural agreement with reversed subject defended

'The problem is the picture.'

Nor does it occur in some Roman languages, for example Italian:

a. Queste foto sono la causa della rivolta. - Subject deal-canonical verb

'These photos are the cause of rebellion.'

b. La causa della rivolta sono/* ÃÆ'¨ queste photo . - Plural agreement with reversed subject defended

'The cause of rebellion is/is a photo.'

The fact that English (unlike German and Italian) requires the approval of subject verbs to occur with pre-verb NP results in confusion about what should qualify as subject NP. From a morphological point of view, the pre-verb NP in the inverse copular construction should be counted as the subject, but from the perspective of the information structure (eg, certainty, old information, specificity), the post-verb NP should be the subject.

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The importance of grammar theory

Inverse copular constraints challenges one of the main dogmas of clause theory or sentence structure, namely that the two basic constituents of a sentence - noun phrase (NP) and verb phrase (VP) - are related to the logical/grammatical functions of the subject and predicate (cf. phrase structure of rules and sentences). In fact, popular phrases that maintain canonical groupings are inadequate on empirical grounds, because very unusual left-branch structures are required, or if one rejects canonical groupings and places subjects in VP-like constituents, then we should assume that the subject is NP and the verb copula can form a VP type to override predictive expressions.

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See also

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Note

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References

Source of the article : Wikipedia