Edited by Hans C. Boas and Steffen Höder
[Constructional Approaches to Language 30] 2021
► pp. 339–374
This contribution adopts a usage-based construction grammar approach to describe the word order variation between fronting (e.g., something with which I was dealing) and stranding (e.g., something which I was dealing with) in English as a second language. Using regression analysis, preposition placement in relative clauses is correlated with multiple usage-based variables, including specific lexical items and strings (e.g., with which, deal with). The results suggest that learners acquire a network of form-meaning constructions which represent their language use at multiple levels of schematicity, ranging from lexically specific prototypes to cross-linguistically shared representations. Moreover, effects of proficiency and lexical strings indicate that constructions remain adaptable to usage throughout learners’ lifetime and involve predictive knowledge, suggesting a dynamic view of constructions.