The influence of formality and channel on relative pronoun choice in New Zealand English

Robert J. Sigley

37 citations0/0 files storedEnglish Language and Linguistics

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Syntax, Semantics, Linguistic Variation Linguistic research and analysis Linguistic Variation and Morphology

Abstract

This paper describes the effects of text formality and channel on relativizer choice in data from three corpora of written and spoken New Zealand English.Thatand the null relativizer Ø are typically regarded as intrinsically less formal than thewh-pronouns; but are they in fact commoner in spoken/informal texts? If so, is this a direct response to formality? Do prescriptions influence relativizer choice in written/formal texts? These questions are addressed by identifying and controlling significant linguistic influences on relativizer choice, and comparing results for text categories representing a range of formality levels from both channels.

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References

1988A comprehensive grammar of the English language . By Randolph Quirk, Sidney Greenbaum, Geoffrey Leech, and Jan Svartvik. Index by David Crystal. London: Longman, 1985. Pp. x, 1779.1988Variation across Speech and Writing 1983Technical writer's handbook 2000The syntactic phenomena of English . 2nd edn. By James D. McCawley. Chicago: University of Chicago Press, 1998. Pp. xxiv, 809. Cloth $110, paper $50.1926A Dictionary of Modern English Usage 1995On the Choice of Relative Pronouns in English 1992History of Englishes 1957Relative clauses in educated spoken English1

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