I found this article in my old e-mail. I think it's very important for ATEG members to consider as we gather for the convention. All my best, Jean http://www.theguardian.com/media/mind-your-language/2014/jul/11/mind-your-language-grammar-day On Sat, Aug 16, 2014 at 2:08 PM, Bruce Despain <[log in to unmask]> wrote: > Richard, > > > These are great examples of how the sentence fragment is handled today. I > believe that historical examples will find them simply punctuated > differently, so as to avoid the "fragment" designation. They might have > been conceived of as appositives or adjuncts. One common way was to place > them after a dash (—) or colon+dash (:—). The exception that comes to mind > is the item in a list or outline. This seems to be what your first example > could be. To this may be added the headline as in newspapers and > magazines. These latter fragments are not just sentence fragments but > phrase fragments as well. Sometimes more liberties in building compounds > are also taken. (e.g., "police images" for "images of the police in combat > gear") > > Bruce > > --- [log in to unmask] wrote: > > From: "Prof. Richard Grant WAU" <[log in to unmask]> > To: [log in to unmask] > Subject: Re: Relevance of Syntax & Semantics: "I'm gonna write me some > music about" > Date: Wed, 13 Aug 2014 18:12:29 -0400 > > I agree with Herb's conclusion that the example is grammatical. > > > > I would, however, go further to say that such examples are not limited to > informal registers and/or dialog but are rather intentional stylistic > options for conveying effects and are used frequently by professional > writers. In rhetorical circles they are referred to as a deliberate > fragments or virtual sentences. By definition, deliberate fragment—as > opposed to accidental ones—are complete thoughts represented by a basic > sentence pattern or even just a word and are functionally used for doing > the following: > > > > 1. introducing a topic > > 2. describing a scene > > 3. representing conversation > > 4. providing a succinct (perhaps even terse) conclusion > > 5. emphasizing a point or an idea > > > > Here are three excerpts that demonstrate examples of deliberate fragments: > > > > 1. *Early, grainy half-light in an old apartment by the frozen > river*. Gerry slips in the brown-aired entryway and jiggles the key in > the lock, pulling outward the way Dot told him, closing the door after and > treading softly up the cat-grey carpeted stairs. –Louise Erdrich > > > > 2. He had been expecting something more definite—chest pains, a > stroke, arthritis—but it was only weakness that put a finish to his living > alone. *A numbness in his head, an airy feeling when he walked*. *A > wateriness in his bones that made it an effort to pick up his coffee cup in > the morning*. –Anne Tyler > > > > > 3. But today, on this first day of May 2000, as Kerry sits in > the cab of his truck describing these wonderful playgrounds of his > childhood, the places themselves no longer exist, having all turned to open > water years ago. *The bayous, the lakes, the forests, the magical islands > – all gone*. It’s not like having your house burn down with all your > childhood mementos in it, he tells me. *Baseball cards, photographs, > trophies*. *The loss is absolute*. Mike Tidwell, *Bayou Farewell* (112) > > > > > > > Richard > > > > > > > > > > -----Original Message----- > From: Assembly for the Teaching of English Grammar [mailto: > [log in to unmask]] On Behalf Of Stahlke, Herbert > Sent: Wednesday, August 13, 2014 11:47 AM > To: [log in to unmask] > Subject: Re: Relevance of Syntax & Semantics: "I'm gonna write me some > music about" > > > > I'd say it's a matter of register. It's certainly not formal academic > writing. The average freshman comp instructor would probably label it a > sentence fragment. Hoowever, in dialog or in informal writing of other > sorts it strikes me as both grammatical and apt. It has a clear > topic-comment structure. Before the dash is background information, and > after the dash is the predicate. Omission of subject pronoun and Be verb > is a marker of informal, casual style. > > > > Herb > > > > -----Original Message----- > > From: Assembly for the Teaching of English Grammar [ > mailto:[log in to unmask] <[log in to unmask]>] On Behalf > Of [log in to unmask] > > Sent: Wednesday, August 13, 2014 10:59 AM > > To: [log in to unmask] > > Subject: Re: Relevance of Syntax & Semantics: "I'm gonna write me some > music about" > > > > Herbert, > > Please help with the following: > > > > Is this grammatically wrong? > > > > "Running errands, doing the laundry, walking the dogs--ready for this day > to be over." > > > > Thanks! > > -------------------------------------------- > > On Fri, 7/11/14, Stahlke, Herbert <[log in to unmask]> wrote: > > > > Subject: Re: Relevance of Syntax & Semantics: "I'm gonna write me some > music about" > > To: [log in to unmask] > > Date: Friday, July 11, 2014, 11:43 AM > > > > <[log in to unmask]>,< > [log in to unmask]> > > In-Reply-To: < > [log in to unmask]> > > Accept-Language: en-US > > Content-Language: en-US > > X-MS-Has-Attach: > > X-MS-TNEF-Correlator: > > x-originating-ip: [216.183.137.164] > > x-microsoft-antispam: BCL:0;PCL:0;RULEID: > > x-forefront-prvs: 02698DF457 > > x-forefront-antispam-report: > > > SFV:NSPM;SFS:(377454003)(199002)(189002)(36756003)(106116001)(2171001)(80022001)(21056001)(31966008)(89122001)(19625215002)(20776003)(95666004)(107886001)(16236675004)(76482001)(64706001)(79102001)(99396002)(19580405001)(85852003)(66066001)(2656002)(74502001)(88552001)(83322001)(93886003)(99286002)(83072002)(19580395003)(81542001)(74662001)(106356001)(92566001)(50986999)(101416001)(92726001)(85306003)(54356999)(75432001)(76176999)(105586002)(87936001)(4396001)(77982001)(46102001)(19627405001)(81342001)(107046002)(86362001)(18121605002)(19627315001)(19607625011);DIR:OUT;SFP:;SCL:1;SRVR:CO2PR05MB684;H: > CO2PR05MB682.namprd05.prod.outlook.com > ;FPR:;MLV:sfv;PTR:InfoNoRecords;MX:1;LANG:en; > > Content-Type: multipart/alternative; > > > > boundary="_000_140509342553356225bsuedu_" > > MIME-Version: 1.0 > > X-OriginatorOrg: bsu.edu > > X-Miami-MailScanner-Information: Please contact the ISP for more > information > > X-Miami-MailScanner-ID: s6BFhmmO029062 > > X-Miami-MailScanner: Found to be clean > > X-Miami-MailScanner-From: [log in to unmask] > > X-Spam-Status: No > > --_000_140509342553356225bsuedu_ > > Content-Type: text/plain; charset="windows-1256" > > Content-Transfer-Encoding: quoted-printable > > I'd like to take Craig's thoughts a step further. As one who began his > lin= guistic life doing field work on languages he knew little about, I'm > sensit= ive to the influence a standard orthography has on our analyses. > Suppose y= ou were doing field work on English with no orthography and > little other in= formation to rely on--or be misled by. When you hear > /aimn@go/ you would b= y no stretch of the imagination connect that to > "I am going to go." Rather= , you'd identify the first person singular > subject pronoun, the /m/ perhaps= > > marking progressive aspect (although you'd properly have doubts about > that= > > conclusion), and the /n@/ as some sort of future or intentional marker > wor= thy of considerably more research. Maybe, after comparing a number > of dial= ects you might come up with a historical internal reconstruction > that relat= ed the form to "am going to," but that would have about as > much bearing on = your synchronic grammatical description as the equally > historical discovery= > > that the -t of "height" and the -th of "width" are the same thing. > > > > I fear sometimes that the extent to which our descriptions look like our > or= thography or our grammatical traditions, they are not > evidence-based. The = fact is that the results of grammaticalization are > frequently not recoverab= le except by diligent study by trained > grammarians; they remain opaque to n= ormal native speakers. > > > > Herb > > > > > > Herbert F. W. Stahlke, Ph.D. > > Emeritus Professor of English > > Ball State University > > Muncie, IN 47306 > > [log in to unmask] > > ________________________________ > > From: Assembly for the Teaching of English Grammar <[log in to unmask] > DU <[log in to unmask]>> on behalf of Hancock, Craig G < > [log in to unmask]> > > Sent: Friday, July 11, 2014 10:13 AM > > To: [log in to unmask] > > Subject: Re: Relevance of Syntax & Semantics: "I'm gonna write me some > musi= c about" > > Bob, > > Phonetic reduction is a dynamic process directly related to > frequency. = Since =93going to=94 can now combine in auxiliary like ways > with main verbs= , its use has dramatically expanded. Frequency of use > correlates well with = phonetic reduction. It=92s an observation about how > language shifts in form= > > as it takes on new (expanded) function. Want to has expanded range of > use = in the same way. The same patterns are at work in its reduction.The > consens= us seems to be that it has modal like qualities. > > Biologists make observations about form all the time without thinking > o= f life itself as a formal system. What we need, I think, is the > equivalent = of an anatomy and physiology. In the world of biology, the > two are dynamica= lly connected. No one would argue (scientifically) that > biological forms ar= e independent of function and no one would propose > that forms are unimporta= nt. > > In the biological world, it=92s hard to draw strict clear lines > between= > > categories in part because adaptation is constant. > > Bybee=92s point=97and s= > > he=92s not the only one making it=97is that language is more like biology > t= han it is like physics and chemistry. In some ways, this is a renewed > inter= est in empirical observation. This is certainly not a retreat from > form. > > Craig > > From: Assembly for the Teaching of English Grammar [mailto:[log in to unmask] > AMIOH.EDU <[log in to unmask]>] On Behalf Of Bob Yates > > Sent: Thursday, July 10, 2014 6:16 PM > > To: [log in to unmask] > > Subject: Re: Relevance of Syntax & Semantics: "I'm gonna write me some > musi= c about" > > I=92m confused by the following observation from Craig. > > > > > > Sent from Windows Mail > > From: Hancock, Craig G<mailto:[log in to unmask] <[log in to unmask]>> > > Sent: =FDThursday=FD, =FDJuly=FD =FD10=FD, =FD2014 =FD2=FD:=FD06=FD =FDPM > > To: [log in to unmask]<mailto:[log in to unmask]> > > > > As Bybee points out, the kind of phonetic reduction we get with 'gonna' > and= > > oughtta' is typical of grammaticalization. We don't say "I'm gonna New > Yor= k" for "I'm going to New York," but we do say "I'm gonna take the > train to = New York" or "It's gonna rain." We only use it for expressions > of intention= > > and prediction, which are modal in function. This would be a good > formal a= rgument for "going to" functioning as a constituent group when > modal functi= ons are carried out, but not for physical movement: going > plus to New York. > > > > > > Now, if I understand Craig correctly, language is not a formal system, > yet = he just made a formal distinction between =93going to=94 verb > vs.=94 going = > > to=94 location. It seems to me that we are dealing with two different > to= =92s. The to in =93going to=94 marks a verb and the to in making a > locatio= n is a preposition. > > > > > > By the way, gonna reduction is also reflected in wanna. > > > > > > Bob Yates, University of Central Missouri > > --_000_140509342553356225bsuedu_ > > Content-Type: text/html; charset="windows-1256" > > Content-Transfer-Encoding: quoted-printable > > <html> > > <head> > > <meta http-equiv=3D"Content-Type" content=3D"text/html; > charset=3Dwindows-1= 256"> <style type=3D"text/css" > > style=3D"display:none"><!-- p { margin-top: 0px; m= > > argin-bottom: 0px; } @font-face { font-family: Calibri; } @font-face { > font= > > -family: Tahoma; } p.MsoNormal, li.MsoNormal, div.MsoNormal { margin: 0in > 0= in 0.0001pt; font-size: 12pt; font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; } > a:li= nk, span.MsoHyperlink { color: blue; text-decoration: > > underline; } a:visite= > > d, span.MsoHyperlinkFollowed { color: purple; > > text-decoration: underline; }= > > p.MsoAcetate, li.MsoAcetate, div.MsoAcetate { margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt; > fo= > > nt-size: 8pt; font-family: Tahoma, sans-serif; } p.MsoListParagraph, > li.Mso= ListParagraph, div.MsoListParagraph { margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt > 0.5in; font-= > > size: 12pt; font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; } > p.msolistparagraphcxsp= first, li.msolistparagraphcxspfirst, > div.msolistparagraphcxspfirst { margin= > > : 0in 0in 0.0001pt 0.5in; line-height: 115%; font-size: > > 12pt; font-family: = > > 'Times New Roman', serif; } p.msolistparagraphcxspmiddle, > li.msolistparagra= phcxspmiddle, div.msolistparagraphcxspmiddle { margin: > 0in 0in 0.0001pt 0.5= in; line-height: 115%; font-size: 12pt; > font-family: 'Times New Roman', ser= if; } p.msolistparagraphcxsplast, > li.msolistparagraphcxsplast, div.msolistp= aragraphcxsplast { margin: 0in > 0in 0.0001pt 0.5in; > > line-height: 115%; font-= > > size: 12pt; font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; } span.BalloonTextChar > {= > > font-family: Tahoma, sans-serif; } span.EmailStyle25 { > > font-family: Calibr= > > i, sans-serif; color: rgb(31, 73, 125); } .MsoChpDefault { > > font-size: 10pt;= > > } @page WordSection1 { margin: 1in; }--></style> </head> <body > dir=3D"ltr"> <div id=3D"OWAFontStyleDivID" > > style=3D"font-size:12pt;color:#000000;backgro= > > und-color:#FFFFFF;font-family:Calibri,Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"> > > <p>I'd like to take Craig's thoughts a step further. > > As one who began= > > his linguistic life doing field work on languages he knew little about, > I'= m sensitive to the influence a standard orthography has on our > analyses. &n= bsp;Suppose you were doing field work on English > > with no orthography and little other information to rely on--or be > misled = by. When you hear /aimn@go/ you would by no stretch of > the imaginatio= n connect that to "I am going to go." > Rather, you'd identif= y the first person singular subject pronoun, > the /m/ > > perhaps marking progressive aspect (although you'd properly have > doub= ts about that conclusion), and the /n@/ as some sort of future or > intention= al marker worthy of considerably more research. > > Maybe, after comparin= > > g a number of dialects you might come up with > > a historical internal reconstruction that related the form to "am > goi= ng to," but that would have about as much bearing on your > synchronic g= rammatical description as the equally historical discovery > that the -t of &= quot;height" and the -th of "width" are > the same > > thing. </p> > > <p><br> > > </p> > > <p>I fear sometimes that the extent to which our descriptions look like > our= > > orthography or our grammatical traditions, they are not evidence-based. > &n= bsp;The fact is that the results of grammaticalization are frequently > not r= ecoverable except by diligent study by > > trained grammarians; they remain opaque to normal native speakers.<br> > </p> <p><br> </p> <p>Herb <br> </p> <div> <p><br> </p> > <p><br> </p> <div class=3D"BodyFragment"><font size=3D"2"> <div > class=3D"PlainText">Herbert F. W. Stahlke, Ph.D.<br> Emeritus Professor > of English<br> Ball State University<br> Muncie, IN 47306<br> > [log in to unmask]</div> </font></div> </div> <div style=3D"color: > rgb(33, 33, 33);"> <hr tabindex=3D"-1" style=3D"display:inline-block; > width:98%"> <div id=3D"divRplyFwdMsg" dir=3D"ltr"><font face=3D"Calibri, > sans-serif" co= lor=3D"#000000" > > style=3D"font-size:11pt"><b>From:</b> > > Assembly for the Teac= > > hing of English Grammar <[log in to unmask]> on behalf of > Hanc= ock, Craig G <[log in to unmask]><br> <b>Sent:</b> Friday, > July 11, 2014 10:13 AM<br> <b>To:</b> [log in to unmask]<br> > <b>Subject:</b> Re: Relevance of Syntax & Semantics: "I'm gonna > wr= ite me some music about"</font> <div> </div> </div> > <div> <div class=3D"WordSection1"> <p class=3D"MsoNormal"><span > style=3D"font-size:11.0pt; font-family:"C= > alibri","sans-serif"; > > color:#1F497D">Bob,</span></p> > > <p class=3D"MsoNormal"><span > > style=3D"font-size:11.0pt; font-family:"C= > alibri","sans-serif"; > > color:#1F497D"> Phon= etic reduction is a dynamic > process directly related to frequency. Since = =93going to=94 can now > combine in auxiliary like ways with main verbs, its = use > > has dramatically expanded. Frequency of use correlates well with > phonetic = reduction. It=92s an observation about how language shifts in > form as it ta= kes on new (expanded) function. > > <i>Want to</i> has expanded range of use in the same way. The same > patterns= > > are at work in its reduction.The consensus seems to be that it has > modal l= ike qualities.</span></p> <p class=3D"MsoNormal"><span > style=3D"font-size:11.0pt; font-family:"C= > alibri","sans-serif"; > > color:#1F497D"> Biol= ogists make observations about > form all the time without thinking of life i= tself as a formal system. > What we need, I think, is the equivalent of an > > anatomy and physiology. In the world of biology, the two are > dynamically c= onnected. No one would argue (scientifically) that > biological forms are ind= ependent of function and no one would propose > that forms are unimportant. > > </span></p> > > <p class=3D"MsoNormal"><span > > style=3D"font-size:11.0pt; font-family:"C= > alibri","sans-serif"; > > color:#1F497D">  = > > ;In the biological world, it=92s hard to draw strict clear lines between > ca= tegories in part because adaptation is constant. Bybee=92s > point=97and she= =92s not the > > only one making it=97is that language is more like biology than it is > like= > > physics and chemistry. In some ways, this is a renewed interest in > empiric= al observation. This is certainly not a retreat from form. > > </span></p> > > <p class=3D"MsoNormal"><span > > style=3D"font-size:11.0pt; font-family:"C= > alibri","sans-serif"; > > color:#1F497D"> </span></p> > > <p class=3D"MsoNormal"><span > > style=3D"font-size:11.0pt; font-family:"C= > alibri","sans-serif"; > > color:#1F497D">Craig</span></p> > > <p class=3D"MsoNormal"><span > > style=3D"font-size:11.0pt; font-family:"C= > alibri","sans-serif"; > > color:#1F497D"> </span></p> > > <div> > > <div style=3D"border:none; border-top:solid #B5C4DF 1.0pt; padding:3.0pt > 0i= n 0in 0in"> <p class=3D"MsoNormal"><b><span > style=3D"font-size:10.0pt; font-family:&quo= > t;Tahoma","sans-serif"">From:</span></b><span > > style=3D"font-= > > size:10.0pt; > > font-family:"Tahoma","sans-serif""> > > Assemb= > > ly for the Teaching of English Grammar [mailto:[log in to unmask] > <[log in to unmask]>] > > <b>On Behalf Of </b>Bob Yates<br> > > <b>Sent:</b> Thursday, July 10, 2014 6:16 PM<br> <b>To:</b> > [log in to unmask]<br> <b>Subject:</b> Re: Relevance of Syntax > & Semantics: "I'm gonna wr= ite me some music > about"</span></p> </div> </div> <p class=3D"MsoNormal"> </p> > <div> <div> <p class=3D"MsoNormal"><span > style=3D"font-family:"Calibri","= > > ;sans-serif"">I=92m confused by the following observation from > Craig.<= /span></p> </div> <div> <p class=3D"MsoNormal"><span > style=3D"font-family:"Calibri","= > > ;sans-serif""> </span></p> > > </div> > > <div> > > <p class=3D"MsoNormal"><span > > style=3D"font-family:"Calibri","= > > ;sans-serif""> </span></p> > > </div> > > <div> > > <div> > > <p class=3D"MsoNormal"><span > > style=3D"font-family:"Calibri","= > > ;sans-serif""> </span></p> > > </div> > > <div> > > <p class=3D"MsoNormal"><span > > style=3D"font-family:"Calibri","= > > ;sans-serif"">Sent from Windows > > Mail</span></p> > > </div> > > <div> > > <p class=3D"MsoNormal"><span > > style=3D"font-family:"Calibri","= > > ;sans-serif""> </span></p> > > </div> > > </div> > > <div style=3D"border:none; border-top:solid #E5E5E5 1.0pt; padding:4.0pt > 0i= n 0in 0in"> <div> <p class=3D"MsoNormal"><b><span > style=3D"font-family:"Calibri",&q= > > uot;sans-serif"; > > letter-spacing:.25pt">From:</span></b><span > > style=3D"= > > font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif"; > > letter-spacing:.25p= > > t"> <a href=3D"mailto:[log in to unmask] <[log in to unmask]>" > > target=3D"_parent">Hancock,= > > Craig G</a><br> > > <b>Sent:</b> =FDThursday=FD, =FDJuly=FD =FD10=FD, =FD2014 > =FD2=FD:=FD0= 6=FD =FDPM<br> <b>To:</b> <a href=3D" > mailto:[log in to unmask] <[log in to unmask]>" > > target=3D"_par= > > ent">[log in to unmask]</a></span><span > > style=3D"font-family:"C= > > alibri","sans-serif""></span></p> > > </div> > > </div> > > <div> > > <p class=3D"MsoNormal"><span > > style=3D"font-family:"Calibri","= > > ;sans-serif""> </span></p> > > </div> > > <div> > > <div id=3D"OWAFontStyleDivID"> > > <p style=3D"background:white"><em><span > > style=3D"font-family:"Calibri&= > > quot;,"sans-serif"; color:black">As Bybee points out, > t</span></e= m><span > style=3D"font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif"; > > co= > > lor:black">he kind of phonetic reduction we get with 'gonna' and oughtta' > i= s typical > > of grammaticalization. We don't say "I'm gonna New York" for > &qu= ot;I'm going to New York," but we do say "I'm gonna take > the trai= n to New York" or "It's gonna rain." We only use > it for expr= essions of intention and prediction, which are modal in > function. This woul= d > > be a good formal argument for "going to" functioning as a > consti= tuent group when modal functions are carried out, but not for > physical move= > > ment: > > <em><span > > style=3D"font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif"">= > > going</span></em> plus <em><span > > style=3D"font-family:"Calibri",&= > > quot;sans-serif"">to New > > York</span></em>. </span></p> > > <p style=3D"background:white"><span > > style=3D"font-family:"Calibri"= > > ;,"sans-serif"; > > color:black"> </span></p> > > <p style=3D"background:white"><span > > style=3D"font-family:"Calibri"= > > ;,"sans-serif"; color:black">Now, if I understand Craig > correctly= , language is not a formal system, yet he just made a formal > distinction be= tween =93going to=94 verb vs.=94 going to=94 > location. It seems > > to me that we are dealing with two different to=92s. The to > in = =93going to=94 marks a verb and the to in making a > location is a&= nbsp;preposition. </span></p> <p > style=3D"background:white"><span style=3D"font-family:"Calibri"= > > ;,"sans-serif"; > > color:black"> </span></p> > > <p style=3D"background:white"><span > > style=3D"font-family:"Calibri"= > > ;,"sans-serif"; color:black">By the way, gonna reduction > is = also reflected in wanna. </span></p> <p > style=3D"background:white"><span style=3D"font-family:"Calibri"= > > ;,"sans-serif"; > > color:black"> </span></p> > > <p style=3D"background:white"><span > > style=3D"font-family:"Calibri"= > > ;,"sans-serif"; color:black">Bob Yates, University of Central > Mis= souri </span></p> </div> </div> </div> </div> </div> > </div> </div> </body> </html> > > --_000_140509342553356225bsuedu_-- > > 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/ > > > > 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/ > > > > 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/ > > > > _____ > > This email has been scanned by WAU 3-Tier Anti-Virus/Anti-Spam System. > > 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/ > 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/ > 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/