LINGUIST List 14.1583

Wed Jun 4 2003

Books: Corpus Linguistics/Syntax, English: Gries

Editor for this issue: Marisa Ferrara <marisalinguistlist.org>

Directory

1. linguistics, Multifactorial Analysis in Corpus Linguistics: Gries

Title: Multifactorial Analysis in Corpus Linguistics
Subtitle: A Study of Particle Placement
Series Title: Open Linguistics
			
Publication Year: 2003
Publisher: Continuum International Publishing Group Ltd 
 http://www.continuumbooks.com		 
			
Author: Stefan Thomas Gries, University of Southern Denmark

Hardback: ISBN: 0826461263, Pages: 240, Price: �70.00
			
Abstract:

This book presents a novel analysis of the word-order alternation of
English transitive phrasal verbs (aka Particle Movement) from a
cognitive-functional and psycholinguistic perspective. Its main
objective, however, is a methodological one, namely to demonstrate the
superiority of corpus-based, multifactorial and probabilistic
approaches towards grammatical phenomena over traditional analyses
based on acceptability judgements and minimal pair tests. The
advantages resulting from the advocated multifactorial approach
towards Particle Movement are: Particle Movement can be described at a
previously unknown level of detail; all determinants ever proposed to
govern the alternation can be integrated into a single hypothesis
explaining the alternation; constructions can be compared to each
other with respect to their degree of prototypicality and similarity;
it is possible to actually predict with a high degree of accuracy
which of the two word orders native speakers will subconsciously
choose in the natural production of speech and text (thereby passing
the most rigorous test conceivable); finally, competing hypotheses can
be compared in terms of their predictive power.
 
Apart from these methodological points, the study also addresses the
more theoretical and linguistic question of how to explain such
results. It is argued that theories of language production resting on
the notion of processing effort are, contrary to some contemporary
analysts, not ideally suited to explain such phenomena and that
interactive activation models of language production allow for a more
elegant interpretation and implementation of the results.

Lingfield(s): Text/Corpus Linguistics
		Syntax
			 
Subject Language(s): English (Language code: ENG)

Written In: English (Language Code: ENG)


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 http://linguistlist.org/get-book.html?BookID=6326.