Overview

This volume sheds new light on verb constructions by exposing them to cross-linguistic analysis based on multilingual corpora. It is composed of nine studies which provide insights into various aspects of cross-linguistic diversity, including showing that seemingly equivalent verb constructions may differ in their semantics, and that similar meanings may be expressed by different types of constructions. In other words, this book shows that different languages have different ways of lexicalising verb-based meanings, most notably by means of other, divergent verb constructions. A range of lexicogrammatical aspects of verb constructions are explored throughout the book, including time reference; modality; voice; light verb constructions; non-finite complementation of lexical verbs; posture-verb constructions; semiperiphrastic constructions; and the construction and semantic composition of verbs of putting. All of the contributions consider English in comparison with at least one of the following languages: Czech, German, Lithuanian, Norwegian, Spanish, and Swedish. As such, this volume offers a truly multilingual perspective on verb constructions. The diversity of comparisons also highlights the multi-faceted nature of the verb phrase, which seems to have virtually limitless potential for exploration in the fields of tense, aspect, modality, lexical semantics, syntax, and phraseology.

Full Product Details

9781443878081

Table of Contents

Reviews

[T]his volume constitutes a broad and insightful investigation of verb constructions from a cross-linguistic perspective. Collectively the chapters evidence the diverse nature of verb constructions, offering great potential to stimulate future research. Lucy ChrispinCardiff UniversityLanguages in Contrast, 18:1 (2018)

Author Information

Signe Oksefjell Ebeling is Professor of English Language at the University of Oslo. Her previous publications include Patterns in Contrast (Benjamins, 2013), co-authored with Jarle Ebeling.Hilde Hasselgard is Professor of English Language at the University of Oslo. Her previous publications include Adjunct Adverbials in English (Cambridge University Press, 2010).

Tab Content 6

Customer Reviews

Recent Reviews

Countries Available