Overview

This book sheds new light on Appositive Relative Clauses (ARCs), a structure that is generally studied from a merely syntactic point of view, in opposition to Determinative (or Restrictive) Relative Clauses (DRCs). In this volume, ARCs are examined from a discourse/pragmatic point of view, independently of DRCs, in order to provide a positive definition of the structure. After a presentation of the morphosyntactic, semantic and pragmatic characteristics of ARCs, a taxonomy of their functions in discourse is established for both written and spoken English based on the results of a corpus-based investigation. Constraints are then defined within an information-packaging approach to syntactic structures to show why speakers choose ARCs over other competing allostructures, i.e. syntactic structures that fulfil similar discourse functions (e.g. nominal appositives, independent clauses, adverbials, noun premodifiers, topicalization). The end result is a deeper understanding of the richness of ARCs in their natural contexts of use.

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9789027226327

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Theoretically, the book enhances our understanding of the functioning of ARCs in discourse. Practically, the findings of the study can help the reader to know when and how ARCs can be used. This book is suitable for scholars and students who are interested in the study of syntactical structures in discourse, especially the relation between form and function, and those who want to use language more efficiently. This well-organized book presents us with a new picture of the use of ARCs in different registers and styles and in both written and spoken modes. -- Xinzhang Yang, Xiamen University, Discourse Studies, Volume 14(6), 2012, pages 812-814.

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