Correction. What I meant to say, of course, is that given information
tends to come first. My apologies.
Craig>
Bob,
> In some ways, Biber would back you up. The computer can tell us about
> the occurrence (or co-occurrence) of features. The underlying
> assumption is that they co-occur because of "underlying communicative
> functions." It calls for an interpretation. On the other hand, the
> fact that new information tends to come first can be verified
> objectively. It certainly feels right, but we can see if the data
> backs that up.
>
> Craig
>>
>
>
> It has been my experience that the observation from Biber et al. is
> right.
>>
>> Biber et. al. suggest that initial placement of adverbials is often
>> motivated by information flow, the usual ordering of given first, new
>> last.
>>
>> ***
>> It is important to realize that this observation on WHY adverbials are
>> where they are is not based on anything from corpus linguistics. No
>> computer program can tell provide one with the motivation of such
>> movement. The possible motivation of such placement comes from the
>> observer's intuitions about language.
>>
>> Bob Yates, University of Central Missouri
>>
>>
>>
>>>>> Craig Hancock <[log in to unmask]> 1/12/2011 2:08 PM >>>
>> Biber et. al. suggest that initial placement of adverbials is often
>> motivated by information flow, the usual ordering of given first, new
>> last. Initial adverbials often have "scope over the entire clause," as
>> they do in the "early hours before dawn" example. (Consider, for
>> example, "Civilized men fight with gossip", where "with gossip" is
>> more tied to the verb.) They also sometimes "have scope over
>> subsequent clauses for a particular reason: they introduce a new
>> scenario, like a stage setting the scene for a play." These are often
>> oriented toward time and space. "On the other side of the fence, the
>> upper part of the field was full of rabbit holes." "Last week, he
>> promised that there would be no more boom and bust." (their examples.)
>> Presumably, the writer might want to contrast one side of the fence
>> with another or contrast last week's statement with one from another
>> time.
>>>
>> Craig
>>
>> "In the early hours just before dawn, the smell of bacon infuses the
>> air
>>> and flavors it with memories of childhood."
>>>
>>> I don't see how you can argue there is an "error" here: it is perfectly
>>> acceptable to front time adverbs (although their default position is
>>> final).
>>>
>>> Perhaps the sentence sounds a bit awkward because you expect something
>>> more static after "in the early hours just before dawn", something like
>>> "the air is still and cold".
>>>
>>> Just my (non-native) take on it,
>>> Marie
>>>
>>>
>>>> My own impression of this sentence is that the error isn't as blatant
>>>> but
>>>> can be clarified nonetheless: "The smell of bacon infuses the air in
>>>> the
>>>> early hours before dawn and flavors it with memories of childhood," or
>>>> something near that... a compound predicate with prepositional phrases
>>>> as
>>>> adverbs following both verbs.
>>>>
>>>> John
>>>>
>>>>
>>>>
>>>>
>>>>> > However, a collague insists that it is, pointing out that the
>>>>> introductory> prepositional phrase is modifying the noun phrase
>>>>> subject in this
>>>>> > construction (instead of the verb phrase). My intuition tells
>>>>> me that
>>>>> > adverbial modifiers can break the dangling modifier rule
>>>>> though, or is this
>>>>> > only in spoken English? Is the adverbial modifier too far away
>>>>> from its verb
>>>>> > here? Would you consider this incorrect?
>>>>> >
>>>>> > Is this the same argument that surrounds the word "hopefully,"
>>>>> as in
>>>>> > "Hopefully, I'll pass the test"? I know that many linguists
>>>>> consider
>>>>> > "hopefully" in that example to be a sentence-level modifier
>>>>> and so
>>>>> > acceptable despite traditionalists' complaints.
>>>>> >
>>>>> > I'm confused, but that is not uncommon on a Wednesday morning
>>>>> (when I
>>>>> > forgot my coffee no less). I'm interested to see what other
>>>>> ATEGers think.
>>>>> >
>>>>> > John Alexander
>>>>> > To join or leave this LISTSERV list, please visit the list's
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>>>>> > leave the list"
>>>>> >
>>>>> > Visit ATEG's web site at http://ateg.org/
>>>>> >
>>>>>
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>>>>>
>>>>
>>>> John Chorazy
>>>> English III Academy, Honors, and Academic
>>>> Pequannock Township High School
>>>>
>>>> Nulla dies sine linea.
>>>>
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>>>>
>>>
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>>>
>>
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>
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