Fundamental Sentential Level Issues of English Information Structure
Main Article Content
Abstract
Abstract: This paper is an exploration into the fundamental sentential level issues of English information structure: the order in which information is distributed within the sentence, the given/new status of the information exchanged, the contextual constraints on the given/new status, and the syntactical devices used to indicate this given/new status. The conclusion that these issues are fundamental to sentential level English information structure is based on the studies of Birner and Ward (1998), Ward and Birner (2001), Halliday and Matthiessen (2004), Erteschik-Shir (2007), and others. The perspective from which these issues are viewed in the paper adopts Quirk et al. (1985)’s comprehensive approach in which a linguistic construction is discussed with regard to its syntactic features in relation to its pragmatic function under contextual constraints. At the discourse level, these issues can be discussed within Winter (1994)’s clause-relational approach to text analysis in which the clause is viewed as a device of co-relevance constructing and distributing information. Given and new information status, information distribution, information distribution signals and contextual constraints are embedded in the relations held among the clauses which can be interlocked to create the logical structure of the whole text. However, discourse level information structure does not fall within the scope of this paper.
Keywords: Information structure, information distribution, given/new status, contextual constraints, syntactical devices, non-canonical constructions.Article Details
References
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[46] Prince, E. F. (1992). The ZPG letter: subjects, definiteness, and information-status. In S. Thompson, and Mann, W. (Eds.), Discourse Description: Diverse Analyses of a Fundraising Text. Amsterdam and Philadelphia: Benjamins, 295-325.
[47] Ward, G., and Birner, B.J. (1995). Definiteness and the English Existential. Language, 71, 722-742.
[48] Culicover, P. W., and Jackendoff, R. (2005). Simpler Syntax. OUP.
[49] Davison, A. (1984). Syntactic markedness and the definition of sentence topic. Language, 60, 797-846.
[50] Ziv, Y., and Grosz, B. (1994). Right dislocation and attentional state, Ninth Annual Conference and Workshop on Discourse. The Israeli Association for Theoretical Linguistics, 184-199.
[51] Tomlin, R. S. (1986). Basic Word Order: Functional Principles. London: Croom Helm.
[52] Geluykens, R. (1987). Tails (right dislocations) as a repair mechanism in English conversations. In J. Nuyts, and de Schutter, G. (Eds.), Getting One's Words into Line: On Word Order and Functional Grammar. Dordrecht: Foris, 119-130.
[2] Richards, J. C., Platt, J., and Platt, H. (1992). Dictionary of Language Teaching and Applied Linguistics. Longman.
[3] Quirk, R., et al. (1985). A Comprehensive Grammar of the English Language. Longman.
[4] Erteschik-Shir, N. (2007). Information Structure: The Syntax-Discourse Interface. OUP.
[5] Bloor, T., and Bloor, M. (1995). The Functional Analysis of English: A Hallidayan Approach. Arnold.
[6] Prince, E. F. (1981). Toward a Taxonomy of Given-New Information. In P. Cole (Eds.), Radical Pragmatics. Academic Press, 223-255.
[7] Halliday, M. A. K., & Matthiessen, C.M.I.M. (2004). An Introduction to Functional Grammar. Edward Arnold.
[8] Ward, G., and Birner, B.J. (2001). Discourse and Information Structure. In D. Schiffrin, Tannen, D. and Hamilton, H.E. (Eds.), The Handbook of Discourse Analysis. Blackwell Publishing, 119-137.
[9] van Valin, R. D., and Lapolla, R.J. (1997). Syntax: Structure, meaning and function. CUP.
[10] McCarthy, M. (1991). Discourse Analysis for Language Teachers. CUP.
[11] Firbas, J. (1974). Some Aspects of the Czechoslovak Approach to Problems of Functional Sentence Perspective. In F. Danes (Eds.), Papers on Functional Sentence Perspective. 11-37.
[12] Werth, P. (1984). Focus, Coherence and Emphasis. Croom Helm.
[13] Crystal, D. (1997). The Cambridge Encyclopeadia of Language. CUP.
[14] Brown, C. (1983). Topic Continuity in Written English Narrative. In T. Givon (Eds.), Topic Continuity in Discourse: A Quantitative Cross-Language Study. John Benjamins.
[15] Renkema, J. (1993). Discourse Studies: An Introduction Textbook John Benjamins Publishing Company.
[16] Kuno, S. (1978). Generative Discourse Analysis in America In W. U. Dressler (Eds.), Research in Text Theory 2: Current Trends in Text Linguistics. Walter de Gruyter, 275-294.
[17] Paprotté, W., & Sinha, C. (1987). A Functional Perspective on Early Language Development. In M. Hickmann (Eds.), Social and Functional Approaches to Language and Thought. Academic Press (Harcourt Brace Jovanovich), 203-222.
[18] Dressler, W. U. (1978). Research in Text Theory 2: Current Trends in Text Linguistics Walter de Gruyter.
[19] Halliday, M. A. K. (1970). Language Structure and Language Function. In J. Lyons (Eds.), New Horizons in Linguistics. Penguin Books.
[20] Clark, H., Clark, E. (1977). Psychology and Language: An introduction to psycholinguistics. HBJ.
[21] Halliday, M. A. K. (1967). Notes on Transitivity and Theme in English. Journal of Linguistics, 3, 2, 199-244.
[22] Fries, P. H. (1994). On Theme, Rheme and Discourse Goals. In M. Coulthard (Eds.), Advances in Written Text Analysis. Routledge.
[23] Lyons, J. (1970). New Horizons in Linguistics. Penguin Books.
[24] Chafe, W. L. (1976). Givenness, Contrastiveness, Definiteness, Subjects, Topics, and Point of View. In C. N. Li (Eds.), Subject and Topic. Academic Press, 25-56.
[25] Lambrecht, K. (1994). Information Structure and Sentence Form. Cambridge: CUP.
[26] Gee, J. P. (1999). An Introduction to Discourse Analysis: Theory & Method. Routledge.
[27] Chafe, W. (1987). Cognitive Constraints on Information Flow. In R. Tomlin (Eds.), Coherence and Grounding in Discourse. John Benjamins, 21-52.
[28] Haviland, S. E., & Clark, H.H. (1974). What’s New? Acquiring New Information as a Process in Comprehension. Journal of Verbal Learning and Verbal Behavior, 13, 512-521.
[29] Reinhart, T. (1981). Pragmatics and linguistics: an analysis of sentence topics. Philosophica, 27, 53-94.
[30] Fraurud, K. (1990). Definiteness and the processing of noun phrases in natural discourse. Journal of Semantics, 7, 395-433.
[31] Garrod, S. C., and Sandford, A.J. (1994). Resolving sentences in a discourse context: how discourse representation affects language understanding. In M. A. Gernsbacher (Eds.), Handbook of Psycholinguistics. New York: Academic Press, 675-698.
[32] Strand, K. (1996). A taxonomy of linking relations. Indiana Workshop on Indirect Anophora. Lancaster, England.
[33] Hawkins, J. A. (1978). Definiteness and Indefiniteness. Atlantic Highlands NJ: Humanities Press.
[34] Carter & McCarthy. (2006). Cambridge Grammar of English: A Comprehensive Guide. CUP.
[35] Li, C. N., and Thompson, S.A. (1976). Subject and Topic: A New Typology of Language. In C. N. Li (Eds.), Subject and Topic. London and New York: Academic Press, 457-61.
[36] Birner, B. J., and Ward, G. (1998). Information Status and Noncanonical Word Order in English. Amsterdam and Philadelphia: Benjamins.
[37] Sinclair, J., and Ed. (Eds.) (1990). Collins Cobuild English Grammar, HarperCollins.
[38] Prince, E. F. (1997). On the functions of left-dislocation in English discourse. In A. Kamio (Eds.), Directions in Functional Linguistics. Amsterdam and Philadelphia: Benjamins, 117-143.
[39] Birner, B. J. (1994). Information status and word order: an analysis of English inversion. Language, 70, 233-259.
[40] Graver, B. (1971). Advanced English Practice. OUP.
[41] Widdowson, H. G. (1978). Teaching Language as Communication. OUP.
[42] Richards, J. C., and Schmidt, R. (2002). Longman Dictionary of Language Teaching and Applied Linguistics. Longman: Pearson Education Limited.
[43] Lock, G. (1996). Functional English Grammar: An Introduction for Second Language Teachers. CUP.
[44] Birner, B. J., and Ward, G. (1996). A crosslinguistic study of postposing in discourse. Language and Speech: Special Issue on Discourse, Syntax, and Information, 39, 111-140.
[45] Prince, E. F. (1988). The discourse functions of Yiddish expletive Es +subject-postposing. Papers in Pragmatics, 2, 176-194.
[46] Prince, E. F. (1992). The ZPG letter: subjects, definiteness, and information-status. In S. Thompson, and Mann, W. (Eds.), Discourse Description: Diverse Analyses of a Fundraising Text. Amsterdam and Philadelphia: Benjamins, 295-325.
[47] Ward, G., and Birner, B.J. (1995). Definiteness and the English Existential. Language, 71, 722-742.
[48] Culicover, P. W., and Jackendoff, R. (2005). Simpler Syntax. OUP.
[49] Davison, A. (1984). Syntactic markedness and the definition of sentence topic. Language, 60, 797-846.
[50] Ziv, Y., and Grosz, B. (1994). Right dislocation and attentional state, Ninth Annual Conference and Workshop on Discourse. The Israeli Association for Theoretical Linguistics, 184-199.
[51] Tomlin, R. S. (1986). Basic Word Order: Functional Principles. London: Croom Helm.
[52] Geluykens, R. (1987). Tails (right dislocations) as a repair mechanism in English conversations. In J. Nuyts, and de Schutter, G. (Eds.), Getting One's Words into Line: On Word Order and Functional Grammar. Dordrecht: Foris, 119-130.