DiA GG4

Reminder → neither or nor hacen inversion pero no tienen solo cuando están uniendo dos
frases “ni maria ni laia se lo podian pagar” está coordinando, aquí no hay inversion. Si
estuvieran en independent o yuxtaposades si habría inversion. Hay toda una vaina con el
punto y coma y la coma. Esto está bien: The kids were not allowed to shout; nor were they
allowed to play. Pero esto está mal: The kids were not allowed to shout. They were not allowed to play
either." PQ SON FRASES SEPARADAS POR EL PUNTO, EL PUNTO Y COMA ENSEÑA UNA UNIÓN
OSEA ESTÁN JUXTAPOSED.

Ditransitive verbs→ two object verbs tell→ necesitas dos objects el que lo dice y el que lo escucha

están mal→ I was explained the problem y The tourists were suggested some hotels PORQUE→

Difference btween tell and explain→ Explain and suggest are monotransitive they dont take an indirect
object, si quieren tener goal or recipient (el rol del indirect complement) they need to do it w and
adjunct. Otros verbos igual: recommend. Explain→ you say something. Tell: you say somthg to
someone.

“ All objects have to be able to turn into a subject in the passive if it does not, it is not an object”.
“if a verb has two objects cambiar el orden?’ Diff btween to report que es solo dar info vs comuunicate
que necesita un recipient.

Verbs of communicating (telling someone (something)): tell, advise, inform, convince, persuade,
teach, remind, promise.
→ Verbs of communicating take an indirect object which expresses the recipient of
the communication and a direct object which expresses what is being communicated (I
told Bill a secret; I promised him that I would go). As with all ditransitive verbs, dative
alternation is possible: John told me that, John told that to me). Optionally, one or the other
can be dropped (John told me; John told a story; John taught me; John taught math)

Verbs of reporting (say something): say, announce, answer, explain, mention,

report, confirm, admit. Verbs of proposing (something): advise, propose, suggest,
recommend.
→ Verbs of reporting take a direct object which expresses what is reported (I
explained what had happened; John said something); they may optionally appear with an
adjunct (to NP), which expresses the recipient of the report (John explained it to me; Say
something to me). These are monotransitive verbs, so no dative alternation is possible:
(*They explained him what to do).

→ Verbs of proposing are like verbs of reporting in that they take a direct object, which
expresses what is proposed: I suggested that they visit the museum, I suggested visiting
the museum; I recommended the visit (the clausal complement cannot be an infinitival
clause (to V)). Verbs of proposing do not take indirect objects (*I suggest them to visit the
museum; *I recommended them a good doctor), although optional adjuncts are possible (I
recommended a good doctor to them).

PREPOSING
Placement at the begging at the clause que de normal no va ahi. (before the subj y sin inversion) osea
lo preposed, subj y verb.

1. She was doing an experiment with two groups of mice and she was feeding them different things.
The first group of mice she fed corn. (topicalisation) el issue es que les daba corn a unos
2. A: So are you telling me that he made good money with that thing that he invented?
B: You’re kidding me? Of course! A million dollars, he earned with that patent. (focus-preposing) El
tono en million dollars es tope alto
Preposing / Fronting

• A complement whose canonical position is internal to the VP occurs in front position.

• The referent this preposed element expresses is related to an antecedent previously (synonym,
hyponym, hyperonym, etc) and acts as a link to the preceding discourse (topic). It often also contrasts
with the antecedent or an element related to the antecedent.
• The preposed complement must be thematic / given information. Rhematic information appears at end
of clause. (se queda ahí)

Preposing Nps
A: Did you buy a whole new wardrobe for school?
B: No, I have lots of clothes. My mom gets most of my stuff at Alexander’s. [stuff ≈ clothes]
B’: No, I have lots of clothes. [ Most of my stuff] my mom gets at Alexander’s.
(en una entrevista, ella dice la B’ preposea most of my stuff para darle importancia, ayuda a la cohesión

Complement Preposing: PPs → “the lead”

The most important sentence in any article is the first one. If it doesn’t induce the reader to proceed to
the second sentence, your article is dead. And if the second sentence doesn’t induce him to continue to
the third sentence, it’s equally dead. Of such a progression of sentences, each tugging the reader
forward until he is safely hooked, a writer constructs that fateful unit: “the lead.”

Preposing: AdjPs
• Contrast between two or more properties that are explicitly evoked in the previous
discourse or in the speaker’s own utterance.
• Focus on the copulative verb: the rheme / new information is the denial of the previous
statement.
(3) A: I can’t stand him. He’s stupid, arrogant, and totally off-the-wall.
B: I wouldn’t really say he is stupid.
B’: Stupid I wouldn’t really say he is . que en este caso es la mejor
Stupidity no se le aplica

Complement Preposing: VPs

A: They said he must eat his spinach … but he wouldn’t eat it.
A: They said he must eat his spinach… but eat his spinach, he wouldn’t.

Preposea eat his spinach, the whole Vps y dejas el wouldnt atrás como auxiliary the
informative bit es la negation en la segunda A

Focus preposing or fronting lo que fronteas conecta con algo de la frase y es rhematic
Complement preposing
• The complement supplies rhematic (“new”) information (implicitly) missing from previous
discourse.
• It is highly restricted in standard English:
– The rheme specifies the type of a previously introduced referent.
– The rheme specifies an implied quantity of a previously introduced referent.
– Other attributes: specifying implied names
(16) [At a baker’s]
Customer: Do you have any muffins?
Baker: A BRAN muffin I can give you.
(17) I made a lot of cookies. A couple of POUNDS I think I made for her.
Unas Pounds es lo informativa
(18) I had two really good friends. DAMON and JIMMY (novel info) their names were.
Dialectally restricted:
A: Haven’t seen you family for so long… So, how’s your son? → B. Oh, don’t ask…! A SPORTS
CAR he wants now.
Examples of preposing- Type A and B
A. TOPICALISATION = Nonfocal preposing → Referent of preposed phrase (the topic or link) is
semantically connected (it co-specifies) a referent that is already present in context at the time of
utterance, i.e., an antecedent that has been mentioned previously or is inferred from what is said or
the situation. The antecedent may be a synonym or a hyperonym of the referent of the preposed
phrase. In addition, a relation of contrast exists between the referent of the preposed phrase and
(a hyponym of or an alternative token of) its antecedent.

1. I have a recurring dream in which... I can't remember what I say. I usually wake up crying. This
dream I've had maybe THREE, FOUR times. → This dream (theme) está fronted y contrastea
con sus otros sueños pq es recurrente I've had maybe THREE, FOUR (new info, el número de
veces) times.
2. … these guys knew they were being followed and they still continued the same shit. People like
that you have no SYMPATHY for.
3. Q: Do all long-haired guys bug you? A: I don't want my son to have it. Now, the sideburns I
wear because I do TV COMMERCIALS and stuff. I'm in the modelling field.
4. I graduated from high school as an average student. My initiative didn't carry me any further
than average. History I found to be DRY. Math courses I was never GOOD at. Sciences I sort of
ENJOYED. Football was my bag.

B. FOCUS-FRONTING = Focal preposing → The preposed phrase supplies the focus, assertion or
rheme: new information that is missing from or must be revised in previous discourse; in other
words, it asserts something that complements a presupposition (a description subsumed by
context) that is expressed by means of the nonpreposed part of the sentence.
Standard cases: restricted to typical attributes of previously available referents: type,
quantity, name, etc.

1. Now they're coming out with a new hydraulic crane. CHERRY PICKERS they're called, they're
so very easy to upset…Con el focus da el nombre...ayuda al context con est anueva info
2. This is a student who went here two years. [silently but visibly counting blocks of courses on a
transcript]… FIVE semesters she was here.
3. Q: What did they name their dog? A: FIDO they named it. Can you believe that…?

Dialectally restricted: Yiddish-preposing:

4. Could not maintain an erection in the Promised Land! At least not when I needed it, not when
there was something more desirable than my own hand to stick it into. But… you can't stick tapioca
pudding into anything. TAPIOCA PUDDING I am offering this girl! Wet sponge cake!