This book explores the grammar of
to
infinitives and gerundial
-ing
clauses, which is a central area at the interface of syntax and semantics, against the background of what has been called the Great Complement Shift. Over the course of six chapters, the author explores the semantic properties of constructions where the general spread of gerundial
-ing
clauses occurs at the expense of
to
infinitives. The author draws on large electronic corpora, ensuring that new perspectives are opened on the basis of authentic corpus evidence. He identifies trends of variation and change in the use of the two constructions and proposes The Choice Principle, an innovative perspective on the semantics of
to
infinitives and gerundial
-ing
complements. This book will be of interest to researchers and students working on English grammar or the recent history of English grammar.
Inhaltsverzeichnis
- Chapter 1: Introduction. - Chapter 2: Non-Finite Complements of the Verb
Consent
in Current American and British English. - Chapter 3: Non-finite Complements of the Adjective
Subject
in Recent American English. - Chapter 4: The Semantics of
to
Infinitives and
of -ing
Complements: a Case Study on the Adjective Ashamed. - Chapter 5: Lexico-Grammatical Creativity in American Soap Operas: a Case Study of Transitive
into -ing
Pattern. - Chapter 6: Concluding Observations.
