LINGUIST List 13.719

Sat Mar 16 2002

Qs: Referential Determiners, Mixed Constructions

Editor for this issue: Karen Milligan <karenlinguistlist.org>



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Directory

  • Tania R Ionin, specificity / referentiality crosslinguistically
  • Bob Yates, Mixed constructions

    Message 1: specificity / referentiality crosslinguistically

     Date: Fri, 15 Mar 2002 23:31:07 -0500 (EST)
    From: Tania R Ionin <tioninMIT.EDU>
    Subject: specificity / referentiality crosslinguistically


    I'm interested in how specificity / referentiality / definiteness are reflected in different languages - e.g., in their determiner paradigms, word order, etc. I'm working on the acquisition of articles in L2-English, and am interested in whether the distinctions that L2-learners make in article usage are found in any natural language. I would greatly appreciate any information about article systems of languages that haven't been widely studied. I'm also interested in any other ways besides articles that various languages use to distinguish definiteness / specificity. I'm especially interested in whether any language draws a morphological distinction between referential DPs (that assume background speaker knowledge about the referent) and non-referential DPs.

    Any references are greatly appreciated!

    Tania Ionin tioninmit.edu

    Message 2: Mixed constructions

     Date: Sat, 16 Mar 2002 08:46:48 -0600
    From: Bob Yates <kaboyatessprintmail.com>
    Subject: Mixed constructions


    Most first year college students in the US are required to take a writing course. Many of these courses require the student to buy a book which identifies the properties of standard written academic English. There are often exercises for the students to learn how to correct their writing. One of the categories of errors in a collection of these books I have consulted is the "mixed construction." Here is a typical definition of a "mixed construction."

    A mixed construction contains parts that do not sensibly fit together. The mismatch may be a matter of grammar or of logic. (The Bedford Handbook, 5th Edition. (1998))

    This handbook provides the following example.

    For most drivers who have a blood alcohol content of .05 percent double their risk of causing an accident.

    I have three questions.

    1) What is the origin of the term "mixed construction"? (It is not indexed in Mina Shaughnessy's (1977) Errors and Expectations.)

    2) Is the term "mixed construction" used in grammar handbooks for other non-US varieties of English?

    3) In the grammar handbooks for native speakers of other languages, is an equivalent structure identified? (I am especially interested in references to German, French, and Spanish.)

    Please respond to me and I will summarize the answers.

    Bob Yates, kaboyatessprintmail.com Central Missouri State University