An analysis of the discourse functions of though clauses in spoken English

2021 Fiscal Year Final Research Report

• Project/Area Number: 19K00677
• Research Category: Grant-in-Aid for Scientific Research (C)
• Allocation Type: Multi-year Fund
• Section: 一般
• Review Section: Basic Section 02080:English linguistics-related
• Research Institution: Asahikawa National College of Technology
• Principal Investigator: Mizuno Yuko 旭川工業高等専門学校, 人文理数総合科, 准教授 (90435397)
• Project Period (FY): 2019-04-01 – 2022-03-31
• Keywords: 接続詞 / 談話標識 / 複文 / 譲歩 / コーパス / 文法化 / 脱従属節化

Outline of Final Research Achievements

Based on the data collected from the spoken section of the Corpus of Contemporary America English, the present study revealed the following seven points. First, though clauses, which have traditionally been classified as subordinate clauses, can be used independently without their main clause. Second, independent though clauses can fulfill three functions, i.e., rectifying concessive, disagreement, and introducing additional information. Third, though which introduces an independent clause can be analyzed as a discourse marker. Fourth, the developmental process of independent though does not conform to the unidirectional cline of clause-combining constructions. Fifth, independent though clauses are far less frequent that independent although clauses. Finally, independent though clauses are more restricted than independent although clauses in the kinds of usages.

Free Research Field

英語学

Academic Significance and Societal Importance of the Research Achievements

本研究は、電子コーパスを用いて話し言葉からデータを収集することで、これまでの先行研究で見逃されてきたthough節の独立節としての用法を明らかにすることができた。また、thoughが従位接続詞としての機能だけでなく談話標識としての機能を持つこと、および独立節としての用法は文法化の節接続に関する単方向性の仮説の反例となることを示すことで、文法化、複文、および脱従属節化の研究分野に貢献することができた。