Global InformationPseudogapping information
Pseudogapping is an ellipsis mechanism that elides most but not all of a non-finite verb phrase; at least one part of the verb phrase remains, which is called the remnant.[1] Pseudogapping occurs in comparative and contrastive contexts, so it appears often after subordinators and coordinators such as if, although, but, than, etc. It is similar to verb phrase ellipsis (VP-ellipsis) insofar as the ellipsis is introduced by an auxiliary verb, and many grammarians take it to be a particular type of VP-ellipsis.[2] The distribution of pseudogapping is more restricted than that of VP-ellipsis, however, and in this regard, it has some traits in common with gapping.[3] But unlike gapping (but like VP-ellipsis), pseudogapping occurs in English but not in closely related languages. The analysis of pseudogapping can vary greatly depending in part on whether the analysis is based in a phrase structure grammar or a dependency grammar. Pseudogapping was first identified, named, and explored by Stump (1977) and has since been studied in detail by Levin (1986) among others, and now enjoys a firm position in the canon of acknowledged ellipsis mechanisms of English.[4]
- ^ See Osborne (2019: 378-378) for a discussion of pseudogapping (within a dependency grammar framework of syntax).
- ^ See for instance Johnson (2001, 2009).
- ^ For accounts of gapping, see for instance Ross (1970) and Jackendoff (1971).
- ^ See for instance Jayaseelan (1990), Lasnik (1999), Baltin (2003), and Hoeksema (2006).