LINGUIST List 11.237

Fri Feb 4 2000

Qs: Double "is" in American Eng,Spanish Word List

Editor for this issue: Naomi Ogasawara <naomilinguistlist.org>

Directory

1. Hank Mooney, Double "is" in American English
2. rebecca johnson, Spanish Word Frequency List

I'm wondering if anyone has published anything on the use of a double
"is" in English sentences, for example:


The problem is is that Bob doesn't know how to drive.


This usage, which I hear commonly and from very educated people, is
distinct from what I will, at the risk of being judgemental, call the
"legitimate double 'is' ", as in:


The question is is Bob a competent driver?


In the latter sentence, "is" occurs twice in a row because the structure
of the sentence requires it, viz.:

Subj. (The question) + copulative (is) + predicate (Is Bob a competent driver?)

In the first example, however, there is no structural reason for the
doubling of the copulative.

My analysis of this usage is that the double "is" acts as a focusing
mechanism, and serves the same function that a pause might serve, for example:


The question is: (pause) Do we want four more years of incompetent leadership?


But in rapid speech, a true pause becomes awkward, so instead the "is"
is doubled as a way of signaling to the listener that the following
phrase is something s/he should pay particular attention to.

Has anyone else addressed this matter?

Hank Mooney
hmooneymfi.com

I am a graduate student working on my thesis on the word associations of 
Mexican children. I am searching for a standard Spanish word frequency list. 
 If you have information as to where I might acquire such a list, I would 
appreciate it. Thank you, Rebecca S. Johnson