Syntactic and FSP aspects of the existential construction in fiction

Abstract

Cílem této práce je zkoumat existenciální konstrukci there is/there are z hlediska syntaktického a z hlediska aktuálněčlenského za využití analytických nástrojů navržených v rámci teorie o aktuálním členění větném. V teoretické části je podrobně vysvětleno, v čem aktuální členění větné spočívá a všechny koncepty, se kterými se v následných analýzách pracuje, jsou uvedeny a explikovány.

The aim of this study is to examine the existential construction there is / there are from two viewpoints: syntactic and functional. Analytical tools devised in the framework of functional sentence perspective (FSP) are employed to explore information structure in two types of existential constructions, viz. bare existential constructions and existential constructions with adverbial(s). The study first comprehensively explains the core of the FSP theory and concepts employed in consequent FSP analyses. The analysis of bare existentials is concerned with two areas of examination. First, syntactic structure of the subject noun phrase is examined; attention is paid primarily to types of modification involved. Second, the FSP structure is identified; the main focus being placed on the structure of the notional subject. A special attention is paid to the FSP patterns the bare existential construction can implement. The problem of questions and focalizers is touched upon. The analysis of existentials with adverbial(s) focuses on the FSP role of adverbials in relation to their position in the sentence, semantics and contextual boundness. Finally the problem of potentiality is pointed out and the occurrence of other verbs than be is discussed. The outcome of the study is to identify communicative functions the...