Inferential Change and Syntactic Modality in English (Bamberger Beiträge zur Englischen Sprachwissenschaft / Bamberg Studies in English Linguistics) - Softcover

Nagle, Stephen J.; Viereck, Wolfgang

Softcover

ISBN 10: 3631415893 ISBN 13: 9783631415894

Publisher: Peter Lang GmbH, Internationaler Verlag der Wissenschaften, 1989

Synopsis

Because of the unique syntactic behavior of the English modal auxiliaries (e.g., lack of complementation), many generative grammarians have argued for the position that they are categorially distinct from verbs. This study addresses the resulting historical question of how English modals such as may and must split away from the verb system. Dr. Nagle proposes two discrete changes in the underlying grammar whose gradual surface ramifications appear to be syntactic «drift». He further argues that whether a change's surface output proceeds gradually or rapidly depends on the strength and form of language learners' inferential decisions. Two such cognitive decisions underlie the gradual-then-rapid surface drift of the English modals.

About this title

About the Author

Stephen J. Nagle is Professor of English at Coastal Carolina University. He is author of Inferential Change and Syntactic Modality in English (1989), is editor of a monograph on political changes in eastern Europe (1992), and is author or co-author of articles on English historical syntax, auxiliary verbs in southern English, and teaching English as a second language.

Edition details

• Publisher: Peter Lang GmbH, Internationaler Verlag der Wissenschaften
• Publication date: 1989
• Language: English
• ISBN 10: 3631415893
• ISBN 13: 9783631415894
• Binding: Paperback
• Number of pages: 144