Diese Arbeit beschäftigt sich mit einem Aspekt der englischen Syntax, nämlich dem „Preposing“, also dem Voranstellen von bestimmten Konstituenten. Die übliche Satzstellung des Englischen ist SVO (Subjekt, Verb, Objekt). Bsp: “I ordered coffee.“ Um ein Element des Satzes besonders zu betonen kann man dieses aber auch voranstellen. “COFFEE I ordered.” Hierbei spricht man von „Topicalization“ oder „Focus Preposing“. Eugenia Casielles-Suárez schildert dieses Thema in ihrem Text “Focus Preposing (it is called)” aus dem Jahr 1998, der auch dieser Arbeit zugrunde liegt. In der Linguistik wird im Satz unterschieden zwischen Topik (das Thema eines Satzes) und Fokus (das, was über das Thema ausgesagt wird). In dieser Arbeit wird diskutiert, ob das vorangestellte Element gleichzeitig Fokus und Topik des Satzes ist und wie dies sein kann. Dabei werden zunächst die verschiedenen Analysemöglichkeiten von Casielles- Suárez beschrieben und anschließend die beiden Konstruktionen „Focus Preposing“ und „Topicalization“ nach Birner and Ward 2006 verglichen.
Inhaltsverzeichnis (Table of Contents)
- Introduction
- Focus Preposing as a Topical Focus
- The Reconstruction Analysis
- The Interaction of Two Dichotomies
- Focus Preposing and Topicalization
- Conclusion
- References
Zielsetzung und Themenschwerpunkte (Objectives and Key Themes)
This paper examines the nature of Focus Preposing constructions in English, specifically whether the preposed element is both the focus and the topic of the utterance. It focuses on the analysis proposed by Eugenia Casielles-Suárez in her 1998 paper, exploring different approaches to understanding the construction's relationship with topicality.- Analysis of Focus Preposing as a topical focus
- Comparison of Focus Preposing with Topicalization
- Reconstruction Analysis and its application to Focus Preposing
- The interaction of focus and topic within the construction
- Ward's concept of Backward Looking Center (BLC) and its relevance
Zusammenfassung der Kapitel (Chapter Summaries)
Introduction
This chapter introduces the concept of Focus Preposing and distinguishes it from other preposing constructions like Topicalization and Left-dislocation. It highlights the focus on the preposed element and its potential relationship to topicality. Casielles-Suárez's analysis is introduced, focusing on Ward's concept of Backward Looking Center (BLC) and its connection to topicality.Focus Preposing as a Topical Focus
This chapter examines two approaches to understanding Focus Preposing as a topical focus. Firstly, it explores the Reconstruction Analysis, proposed by Vallduví, which suggests that the preposed element functions as a link and the focus is reconstructed from the sentence. Secondly, the chapter considers the interaction of two dichotomies, focus and ground, which could potentially account for the construction's dual nature.Schlüsselwörter (Keywords)
This paper centers on the key concepts of Focus Preposing, Topicalization, Backward Looking Center (BLC), Reconstruction Analysis, Vallduví's hierarchical trichotomy, and the interaction of focus and topic in linguistic constructions.Frequently Asked Questions
What is Focus Preposing in English syntax?
Focus Preposing is a construction where a constituent is moved to the front of the sentence to emphasize it as the focus, such as "COFFEE I ordered."
How does Focus Preposing differ from Topicalization?
Focus Preposing emphasizes the new information (focus), while Topicalization moves an element that is already part of the discourse context (topic) to the front.
What is the Backward Looking Center (BLC)?
Proposed by Ward, the BLC refers to a link between the current utterance and the previous discourse, helping to establish the preposed element as a topic.
What is Vallduví's Reconstruction Analysis?
This analysis suggests that the preposed element functions as a link, and the actual focus is reconstructed from the remaining sentence structure.
Can an element be both focus and topic?
Linguistic theories, like those by Casielles-Suárez, discuss whether preposed elements can serve a dual role, functioning as a "topical focus" within the sentence.
- Quote paper
- Stefanie Schmitz (Author), 2008, Topical Focus in Focus Preposing Constructions, Munich, GRIN Verlag, https://www.grin.com/document/202850
