Author Topic: What do you think of these grammatical constructions?  (Read 1952 times)

Kal

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What do you think of these grammatical constructions?
« on: August 13, 2016, 04:31:13 AM »
Hello Jose,


I have been seeing this kind of structure pop up in my readings that it prompted me to find out the name and usage of this kind of structure. Here is it below:

Abstract noun phrase + is that + complement clause
-the fact is that...
-the point is that...
-the reason is that...
-the thing is that...
-the problem is that...
-the issue is that...
-the reality is that...
-the aspect is that...
-the part is that...
-the business is that...
other introductory noun phrases

What is it called and what is the purpose?

I stumbled when on another structure called Double Copula or Reduplicative Copula. However, I do have examples and what do you think of this construction and the examples?:

-What has to happen is is that the money has to come from somewhere.

-What I'm telling you is is that the economy's strong, it's getting stronger.

-The thing is is that the pickle selection on this menu is staggering.


How about this structure?

Abstract noun phrase + copula + to-infinitive

-the aim is to...
-the job is to...
-the task is to...
-the idea is to...
-the objective is to...
etc

Feel free to share it with other English language lovers. I like to share my knowledge of English with others. I hope hear what you have to say about this.


Joe Carillo

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Re: What do you think of these grammatical constructions?
« Reply #1 on: August 15, 2016, 02:37:11 PM »
I’m afraid that I can’t possibly classify and discuss in detail the list and examples of the out-of-the-ordinary grammatical constructions and sentence patterns that you have stumbled upon. All I can say is that they are advanced language structures for organizing, clarifying, or emphasizing our thoughts through the written or spoken word so we can more effectively communicate them to the reader or listener. These structures are the stuff that real-life, real-world composition consists of; they are admittedly far more complicated than the basic sentence structures that nonnative learners and speakers of English need to learn first before aiming for mastery of the language.

Recall that composition takes the form of description, narration, exposition, and persuasion or a combination of any or all four of them that’s meant to achieve two things: (1) to make our point or what’s in our mind clearly understood by our audience, and (2) to make our audience and accept that point and make it part of his or her own repository of knowledge. To attain these goals, we need to effectively marshal all of the following six composition devices: definition, restatement, example, comparison, contrast, and cause and effect.

This brings us to the subject of rhetoric, which is the study and use of writing or speaking as a means of communication or persuasion. At its most simple, as you must have already learned, rhetoric involves five major mechanical language devices, namely (1) repetition, (2) serial enumeration, (3) accumulation, (4) allusion, and (5) rhetorical questions.

The grammatical structures you presented are actually three of these rhetorical devices. The form “abstract noun phrase + is that + complement clause,” as in “The fact is that the matter has long been settled” and “The point is that we have debated the topic long enough,” is a commonly used rhetorical device to call stronger attention to and emphasize a point; I haven’t encountered a formal name for this rhetorical device but linguists surely must have a term for it. As to what you called a “double copula or reduplicative copula,” as in “What has to happen is is that the money has to come from somewhere,” it’s obviously another rhetorical device that repeats an idea for emphasis. And as to the form “abstract noun phrase + copula + to-infinitive,” as in “The aim is to destabilize the government,” the purpose of this rhetorical device is obviously to put a general label to a particular idea to make it easier to identify and remember.

All of these three rhetorical devices—they arrange words and phrases to heighten language while maintaining their respective literal meanings—are pretty basic but it would be great if you can continue your research to find out the names linguists had given to each of them.
« Last Edit: August 15, 2016, 03:41:39 PM by Joe Carillo »