A Cognitive Linguistic Analysis of the English Imperative
With special reference to Japanese imperatives
Hokkaido University
This volume offers the first comprehensive description of English imperatives made from a Cognitive Linguistic perspective. It proposes a new way of explaining the meaning and function of the imperative independently of illocutionary act classifications, which allows for quantifying the strength of imperative force in terms of parameters and numerical values. Furthermore, the book applies the theory of Construction Grammar to account for the felicity of imperatives in complex sentences. The model of description explains explicitly a wide range of phenomena, including frequency of use, prototypical vs. non-prototypical uses of the English imperative and the choice between longer vs. shorter directives including the imperative. A Cognitive Linguistic Analysis of the English Imperative: With Special Reference to Japanese Imperatives is intended for both researchers and students interested in the English imperative and Directive Speech Acts at large and for the linguists working within the Cognitive Linguistics and/or Construction Grammar approach.
[Human Cognitive Processing, 35]
2012.
xvii, 242 pp.
Publishing status: Available
Hardbound – Available
ISBN
9789027223890
|
EUR
90.00
|
USD
135.00
e-Book – Sold by e-book platforms
ISBN
9789027274762
|
EUR
90.00
|
USD
135.00
Table of Contents
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List of figures
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ix
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List of tables
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xi
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Abbreviations
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xiii
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Acknowledgments
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xv–xvii
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1. Introduction
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1–20
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2. Observing English imperatives in action
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21–56
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3. The meaning of the English imperative
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57–92
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4. Accounting for some of the findings in Chapter 2 and the choice between imperatives and indirect directives
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93–119
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5. Mixed imperative constructions: Passive, progressive, and perfective imperatives in English
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121–135
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6. Conditional imperatives in English
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137–171
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7. English imperatives in concessive clauses
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173–196
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8. Japanese imperatives
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197–219
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9. Conclusions and prospects
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221–224
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References
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225–236
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Data sources
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237
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Name index
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239–240
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Subject index
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241–242
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Quotes
“The framework proposed in this work is a valuable addition to the field of Cognitive Linguistics. It provides insight into the elements by which imperative utterances can be classified, along with tools for comparing these utterances cross-linguistically. Ultimately, such a framework can serve as an important basis for further research in the area of imperative constructions.”
William W. Kruger, Lincoln, NE, USA, on Linguist List 23-1697 (2012)
“This book is most welcome for a number of reasons: as a detailed illustration of applying the descriptive and theoretical notions of cognitive linguistics; for its success in integrating multiple methods and multiple theoretical approaches; and as a comprehensive description of the English imperative. It achieves a broader and deeper understanding of this phenomenon, being especially informative due to comparison with Japanese.”
Ronald W. Langacker , University of California, San Diego
Subjects
Benjamins Subject classification
BIC Subject
CFK: Grammar, syntax
BISAC Subject
LAN009000: LANGUAGE ARTS & DISCIPLINES / Linguistics
U.S. Library of Congress Control Number: 2011052418