Herb, this rings distant bells for me, too. Maybe Wallace Chafe? I wish I could google my own brain. (though it has much less in it than the real google) Beth >>> "STAHLKE, HERBERT F" <[log in to unmask]> 11/16/09 11:06 PM >>> I read a study a long time ago, long enough that I don't remember anything about the author or source, that argued that the sentence in spoken language tends to be bound to the breath group. That is, a sentence is what you can say in one breath. . . . To join or leave this LISTSERV list, please visit the list's web interface at: http://listserv.muohio.edu/archives/ateg.html and select "Join or leave the list" Visit ATEG's web site at http://ateg.org/