The Predicate Agreement with Conjoined Noun Phrases Database allows you to calculate the frequencies of singular and plural predicates with conjoined noun phrases as subject. A query will return results showing percentages for each of the competing forms within the set of examples selected. For each time period the percentage of singular and the percentage of plural predicates with conjoined subject noun phrases is given. As these are the only possibilities, the percentages will sum to 100%. The percentages are accompanied by the raw numbers of examples extracted from the corpus. Queries may be specified with respect to time periods, individual authors, as well as morphological, syntactic and semantic parameters. Where necessary, help texts, explaining particular parameters are provided.  To read these texts, hover over the question mark near the search parameter label. To modify your query, go to a respective box and select a new value (or values). All other parameters from your previous query will remain unchanged.

Standard search and advanced search

Two types of queries are possible: standard query and an advanced query. To switch between the queries, use the buttons “Advanced search” and “Standard search”.  Standard search (default) is performed on sentences which have two conjoined noun phrases with the conjunction i ‘and’. This type of sentence with conjoined subject noun phrases is the most frequent in the sample: such sentences make up 64% of the total examples. Advanced search allows you to specify the type of sentences to be included in the count with respect to the number of conjuncts (Number of noun phrases) and the type of the construction (Type of construction). Further details regarding these options are given in the help texts for these boxes.

Time period options

By default, the query will return results from the entire 200 century period covered by the database.  Alternatively, you can create composite time periods based on the 20-year or 50-year slices. 50 years: This gives the figures divided into four 50-year slices from 1801 to 2000. 20 years: This gives the figures divided into ten 20-year slices from 1801 to 2000. The drop down menus allow you to combine several consecutive periods into one period. Select one of the two options:  50 years or 20 years and then specify the start and end dates. Statistics will be returned in one column for the period specified. For example, the 80-year period running from the beginning of 1861 to the end of 1940 can be examined by selecting the 20-year option and specifying From 1861-1980 To 1921-1940.

Searching by properties of the nominal phrase

Searches can be restricted by specifying particular properties of the first and second conjoined nominal phrases functioning as the subject of a clause.

Animacy

Animate nominals refer to humans (including humans in kinship relations) and non-humans (such as animals and supernatural creatures) and contrast with nominals that refer to inanimate entities. Refine your search by selecting a subset of nominal conjuncts based on their animacy.

Semantic type

Nouns are semantically classified as concrete nouns (e.g. house), abstract nouns (e.g. friendship), mass nouns (e.g. milk) and collective nouns (e.g. furniture). Refine your search by selecting a subset of all nominal conjuncts based on their semantics.

Word class

The category of the nominal may be a noun, pronoun or a substantivised adjective (comprising adjectives and adjectival participles). Refine your query by searching across a particular category of nominal.

Gender

Conjoined nouns functioning as the subject may all belong to the same gender, or they may belong to different genders. The database allows you to investigate whether this affects number agreement on the predicate. Singular nouns have been classified for gender (there is no need to refer to the gender of plural nouns since they never trigger agreement in gender). Finite verbs are classified for tense as past and non-past (only past tense verb forms show gender agreement). Refine your search by selecting nouns belonging to a particular gender.

Number

With conjoined noun phrases, variation in number agreement on the predicate is possible if the noun phrase closest to the predicate (NP1) is singular. Only examples that meet this condition are included in the database. Subsequent noun phrases (NP2, NP3 and NP4) may be singular or plural. Refine your search by selecting conjoined noun phrases based on their number.

Searching by the presence of a shared modifier

Conjoined noun phrases may both be modified by a common modifier inflected for plural number. Refine your query by searching only for examples with a plural common modifier, or exclude examples with this property from your results.

Searching by properties of the clause

Word order

The subject may precede or follow the predicate. Refine your search by selecting a subset of results based on word order.

Predicate type

The head of the predicate may be a full verb, existential verb or consist of a copula or semi-copular with a range of predicative nominals. Refine your search by verb and predicate nominal type.

Tense

The predicate may occur in the non-past or past tenses. Refine your search by selecting a subset of examples based on tense.

Searching by additional conditions

Reciprocal verb

In some examples in the corpus the head of the predicate is reciprocal verb. Refine your query by searching only for examples with a reciprocal verb, or exclude examples with this property from your results.

Conjoined predicates

In some examples in the corpus the predicate is conjoined to another predicate. Refine your query by searching only for examples with a conjoined predicate, or exclude examples with this property from your results.

Punctuation (colon/hyphen after the predicate)

In some examples in the corpus there is a hyphen or colon after the predicate. Refine your query by searching only for examples with this type of punctuation after the predicate, or exclude examples with this property from your results.

Searching by author

The author search function allows you to restrict the results returned to those examples found in works of individual or multiple authors. Leave all author names unselected to return results form the entire corpus.

Statistics from previously published sources

To view the results of previous statistical studies on the phenomena in question, click the Statistics button at the the bottom of the form. Use a Select button to refer to a particular author, and then select a row with a conditioning factor (or with a combination of factors) for which you would like to see statistics. Please note that only one author may be selected at a time. Statistics are structured as in the original source.  

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