Linguistic Insights Probabilistic variability in clausal verb complementation World Englishes

The book explores finite and nonfinite clausal verb complementation in present-day World Englishes from a corpus-based perspective. It provides an assessment of the influence of language contact, simplicity and transparency, geographical proximity, and evolutionary phase on this alternation and an account of new verb complementation structures. The book explores finite and nonfinite clausal verb complementation in World Englishes. It provides an assessment of the influence of language contact, simplicity and transparency, geographical proximity, and evolutionary phase on this alternation. On the one hand, a quantitative analysis of GloWbE data through different statistical tests proves the effects of these factors on the choice between finite that-clauses and nonfinite -ing clauses. A number of intra-linguistic factors are also considered as potential explanatory factors. On the other hand, a detailed, manual, qualitative analysis results in the discovery of a series of new verb complementation structures available in English varieties around the world.