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
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>>>> >
>>>>
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>>>>
>>>
>>> John Chorazy
>>> English III Academy, Honors, and Academic
>>> Pequannock Township High School
>>>
>>> Nulla dies sine linea.
>>>
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