5 - Predicate-Less Constructions

Summary

This chapter extends the analysis of zero coding to predicates, another basic element of language, i.e. predication. There are two major sections. The first analysis deals with a numeral classifier construction which contains a copula in the nucleus of a sentence instead of an intended verb. For this construction, usage in online texts is discussed and applied to RRG. This is followed by the analysis of zero predicates observed in spoken Japanese. This analysis is based on the Japanese-language interviews for proficiency testing and the findings are applied to RRG. The interview data consist of interactions of L1 and L2 speakers, and observations specific to L2 utterances are also addressed. Chapter 4 showed that the proper treatment of zero-coded arguments requires the representation of discourse salience at the interface between syntax, semantics, and pragmatics, and this chapter demonstrates that the same requirement applies to the zero-coding of predicates, which is relevant to the salience of propositions.