rationalizeA Study of the left-dislocation Construction in English

A Study of the left-dislocation Construction in English

Abstract:

This paper analyzes the English left-dislocation construction in terms of its

syntactic/semantic

structure,

information

structure

as

well

as

topical

structure.

According to the analysis, the left-dislocation construction consists of two components:

the left detached section and the matrix clause. The left detached section is mostly a

nominal

phrase

and

it

is

linked

with

the

matrix

clause

via

coreference

by

means

of

usually a pro-form. The information contained in the left detached section can neither

be too new nor too old. It is mainly the anchored brand-new information, the unused

new

information

or

the

inferable

information

which

differs

greatly

from

the

typical

information

structure

of

the

canonical

sentence.

The

left

detached

section

acts

as

an

independent discourse unit brings to it such textual functions as topic which dominates

the matrix clause in the right.

Key

words:

left-dislocation

construction,

syntactic/semantic

structure,

information

s

structure,

topical structure

1.

Introduction

The first one to analyze the left dislocation as a language structure is Ro ss

（

1967

）

. As the example

(1)

shows,

according

to

the

viewpoints

of

creating

linguistics,

left

dislocations

is

a

sentence

pattern through transformation. That is to say, a component part of a canonical clause was moved

left from its original place to the beginning of the whole new non-canonical clause which consists

of a left-dislocated element and a propositional clause or a matrix clause.

(1)

Your friend John, I saw him last night.

Concerning

with

its

function,

many

scholars

thought

it

’

s

related

to

the

topic.

Lehman

(1998)

thought,

“

…

The beginning of a sentence usually serves as the topic position of the whole sentence,

especially the noun phrase of left dislocation.

”

This opinion holds that the left dislocated element

is either to introduce a new topic (Gundel1985) or just to be used to mark topics (Reinhart1981).

The paper is based on the considering of the functional features of the left-dislocation in terms of

all aspects, such as subordinate clause, syntax and so on.

2.

The features of syntactic/semantic structure

As shown above, the left- dislocation in English consists of two parts: left-dislocated element and

matrix clause. Typical left-dislocated element is usually taken on by noun phrase as well as other

components.

For example (Rodman 1997:36):

2) a. As for Sarah Bernstein, many boys would like to kiss her.

b. Speaking of Sarah Bernstein, many boys would like to kiss her.

c. You know of Sarah Bernstein, many boys would like to kiss her.

d. Giving lectures, it

’

s difficult work to do for the youngsters.

e. If it is fine tomorrow, that

’

ll be good.

In the example a, b and c, there are certain modifiers before the left-dislocated elements.

If

we

delete

these

modifiers,

the

left-dislocation

constructions

are

also

tenable.

The

left-dislocated

element of d is a gerund phrase and that in e is a adverbial clause of condition. But concerning