Constructional Competition – Preposition Stranding and Pied-Piping in World Englishes

语言通常有两个或两个以上的结构来表达相似的意思。在这些相互竞争的结构之间的选择通常取决于处理因素，这些因素以复杂的方式与风格和其他语言变量相互作用。本研究现在着眼于一种特定的结构变化，即介词在填空结构中的位置，并研究了各种L1和L2英语中的介词位置：(1)a.这是一个我想了解更多的话题！b.这是一个我想多了解的话题！正如(1)中的例子所示，标准英语在关系结构中有两个相互竞争的介词位置：在（1a）中，介词about位于关系从句的初始位置（它是“pipe - pipes”），而在（1b）中，它仍然是“搁浅的”（即出现在从句内部，没有相邻的NP补语；）。本研究将结合基于用法的构式语法和新英语方法来分析这两种结构之间的竞争。利用语料库和实验数据，该项目将对结构网络和新英语的演变产生重要的见解。

Languages often possess two or more constructions that express a similar meaning. The choice between these competing constructions is frequently dependent on processing factors that interact in complex ways with stylistic as well as other linguistic variables. The present study now looks at one specific structural alternation, namely preposition placement in filler-gap constructions, and investigates it in various L1 and L2 Englishes: (1) a. This is a topic about which I want to know more! [pied-piping] b. This is a topic which I want to know more about! [stranding]As the examples in (1) show, Standard English has two competing placements of prepositions in relative constructions: in (1a) the preposition about is fronted to the initial position of the relative clause (it is “pied-piped”), while in (1b) it remains “stranded” (i.e. appears clause-internally without an adjacent NP complement;). The present study will analyze the competition between the two structures using a combination of Usage-based Construction Grammar and New Englishes approaches. Drawing on corpus as well as experimental data, the project will thus generate important insights into the constructional network as well as the evolution of New Englishes.