Part VI, NUMBER THREE
VI.61 The IMPERATIVE CLAUSE for COMMANDS is quite distinct in form by its restricted LEXICOGRAMMAR: mostly a human AGENT not expressed as SUBJECT; only SECOND PERSON; and only PRESENT TENSE. The unmarked option for the AFFIRMATIVE starts with the PROCESS VERB; the NEGATIVE starts with the AUXILIARY plus the NEGATION -- “don’t” or “do not” -- and then the PROCESS VERB. The unmarked PITCH CONTOUR is falling toward END WEIGHT [221-22]
VI.62 For either POLARITY, CERTAIN STRESS fits the WEIGHT attributed to the PROCESS (VI.17-22). A PROCESS VERB judged important or unpredictable gets STRONG STRESS and confers FRONT WEIGHT [223]; otherwise, WEAK STRESS occurs if another ITEM can take STRONG STRESS, mostly leading to END WEIGHT [224]. So in a short AFFIRMATIVE or NEGATIVE COMMAND, the VERB gets STRONG STRESS in any case [225-26].
[223] “!Stop this ¡joke!” shouts Ali. (Mother without a Mask)
[224] !Stop! !Turn! !Shout! (Fields in the Sun)
[225] Next time you get a blister, ¡don’t !stop the !game -- stop the !pain. (advert)BNC
[226] Don’t !think at all. !Sketch! (Woodworker)
VI.63 The function of soliciting compliance encourages options for emphatic COMMANDS. At LOWER WEIGHT, one option adds the SECOND PERSON PRO-NOUN “you” with WEAK STRESS to AFFIRMATIVE [227] or NEGATIVE [228]; the PROCESS VERB may get WEAK STRESS too. At HIGHER WEIGHT, another option places STRONG STRESS on the AUXILIARY “do” or “don’t” or on the “not” of “do not”, and WEAK STRESS on the PROCESS VERB [229-31]. AFFIRMATIVES with both of the options can mark a contrast between speaker and hearer, but mostly in literature [232-33].
[227] she said angrily, “Now ¡you just ¡lis·ten to !me”. (Vets Might Fly)
[228] !Don’t ¡you let her ¡know what you’re !up to, mind. (English Crime)
[229] !Do be pre·¡pared for some honest advice, though. (Hair Flair)
[230] “I’ll come round and make sure you’re all right” “No, !don’t, !don’t ¡do that!” I said, too urgently. (L-Shaped Room)
[231] Now, ¡do !not ¡let them lure you to the !hus·tings (Middlemarch)
[232] You have her father’s love, Demetrius; let me have Hermia’s; ¡do !you ¡mar·ry !him. (Midsummer)
[233] I have now told you everything. […] ¡Do !you in turn be as ¡frank with !me. (Sherlock Holmes)
At HIGHEST WEIGHT, STRONG STRESSES can be multiplied, perhaps like this:
[234] “I say, !give ¡her !your !arm!” young Newland nervously hissed (Innocence)
[235] A shrill scream sounded above me! “For God’s sake, !don’t !touch the !beam! (Fu Manchu)
VI.64 As in STATEMENTS and QUESTIONS (but not in EXCLAMATIONS) COMMANDS can join in ALTERNATIVE PITCHES, one PITCH CONTOUR rising and the other falling (cf. IV.26, 40, 55).
If the insecure Hilary doesn’t enter the room, then she should leave it [236]; if Prince Pericles doesn’t “expound” the riddle of the dastardly King Antiochus, then he should “receive the sentence” to “cancel off his days” [237], as if he were a newspaper subscription.
VI.65 Just as the QUESTION and EXCLAMATION can take on a form like DECLARATIVE, so too can the COMMAND, and again something special can be suggested (cf. IV. 39, 53). Unmarked options include “you will” [238] or “will not” [239], and “you must” [240] or “must not” [241]; and “you” are enjoined to do or not to do what is expressed by the following INFINITIVE with a STRONG STRESS.
[238] You will please to !tell her that her show of devotion for my daughter is disagreeable to me. (Dombey)
[240] You are killing her […] with your devilish moods and mysteries. You must !stop. Do you hear? You must !give her up. (Blue Flower)
[241] He attempted to pass. “You must not !go!” she exclaimed energetically. (Wuthering)
These data suggest DISEMPOWERING COMMANDS, such as would hardly be used in ordinary dealing with friends or family, and so seem fairly WEIGHTY.
VI.66 Whilst the modern IMPERATIVE is just SECOND PERSON, COMMANDS might be wanted for the other PERSONS too. In older usage we occasionally find a COMMAND as a PROCESS VERB with STRONG STRESS and a SUBJECT in FIRST PERSON [242] or THIRD PERSON [243]. Today, we mostly find unspecified AGENTS like “everybody” [244] or “somebody” [245].
[242] here !sit we down; take you your instrument, play you the whiles! (Shrew)
[243] !speak any man with us, and we will obey. (Self-Reliance)
[244] Everybody keep !still a minute. (Penrod)
[245] I could hear Susan screaming “Somebody !help me”. (Today)
Such restrictions can readily be offset by ERGATIVE COMMANDS of “making do” (in the sense of V.17) with “let” [246-47]. or, in regional usage, “leave” [248-49], which will be described later on as a PATTERN within NON-FINITE MINOR CLAUSES (see IV.141).
[246] Let everybody leave this room, while I am talking to the queen (Irish Fairy Tales)
[247] let no man go out of his place on the seventh day (Exodus 16:29)
[248] Well, leave us take the bonny bride home. (Main Street)
[249] Leave us go root for the Dodgers, Rodgers (Dan Parker)
VI.67 The TAG COMMAND is none too frequent and I haven’t found it in any “grammar”-books. The basic options are simply the PRO-VERBS “do” [250-51] in the AFFIRMATIVE, and “don’t” [252-53] in the NEGATIVE, in a separate TONE GROUP following the COMMAND CLAUSE and taking CERTAIN STRONG STRESS.
[250] Relax, Charles dear soul, and stop wilting, !do. (Phoney War)
[251] Put me down as a nutter, !do. (Lee’s Ghost)
[252] “Don’t talk to me, you aggravating thing, !don’t!” (Pickwick)
[253] “They are so beautiful!” said Mrs Kenwigs, sobbing. “Oh, dear”, said all the ladies, “don’t give way, !don’t.” (Nickleby)
The “do” in a separate TAG can add the PRO-NOUN “it” as a DIRECT OBJECT for AFFIRMATIVE [254] or NEGATIVE [255]; STRONG STRESS probably occurs on “do” or “don’t” in a falling PITCH CONTOUR.
[254] Save him, save him! […] !Do it, Heyling, !do it (Pickwick)
[255] “Oh, Tom, don’t lie — !don’t do it.” (Sawyer)
A TAG COMMAND in a later TURN by another speaker can encourage or discourage obedience [256-57], but I find very few instances.
[256] “Do sit down, Hilda,” said Connie. “!Do!” the man said. (Chatterly)
[257] “O Priam, yield not to him!” “Do !not, dear father.” (Troilus)
VI.68 The LOOK-AHEAD TAG COMMAND placed in front to anticipate a COMMAND may encourage or discourage in advance [258-59], though I found few instances. Sample [260] is a rarity with both LOOK-AHEAD and LOOK-BACK TAGS.
[258] !Do! Kill thy physician, and the fee bestow upon the foul disease. (King Lear)
[259] !Don’t, Maggie, my dear — don’t look so ugly! (Mill on the Floss)
[260] Do stop your dogs digging there! […] Oh, call them off! !Do! !do! — Oh, !don’t, !don’t! Don’t let them dig! (WouldBeGoods)
VI.69 A mild COMMAND can take a TAG QUESTION of “will you?” [261] and “won’t you?” [262]; or, in casual speech, “willya?” [263] and “wontcha?” [264].
[261] Mick and Paddy were rummaging in the back of the Land Rover. “Shine that torch over here, will you?” (Wheelbarrow across the Sahara)
[262] Do tell her how nice she looks, won't you? (Paper Faces)
[263] Explain invading Iraq again, willya? (Linkmeister)WWW
[264] Any suggestions for articles you'd like to see on the Musician site? Drop us a line or post on the forums and let us know, wontcha? (Bellaonline Musicians)WWW
These AFFIRMATIVE and NEGATIVE TAGS animate compliance to do what is commanded whilst suggest more SOLIDARITY than a plain COMMAND.
VI.70 COMMANDING is the most problematic of the four MAJOR CLAUSE TYPES because of EMPOWERING and DISEMPOWERING relations it might imply, and the loss of face if the speaker is disobeyed or for the hearer meekly obeys. PROSODY is essential for regulating the degrees between the mild COMMANDS for simple or easy compliance, with WEAK STRESSES, soft VOLUME, and a shallow falling PITCH CONTOUR in [265-66]; and forceful COMMANDS for immediate or unconditional compliance, with STRONG STRESSES, loud VOLUME, and a steep falling PITCH CONTOUR [267-68].
Besides, speakers of English have a fine repertory of outwardly polite and modest ways — British understatement, perchance — of getting you to do things without seeming to utter COMMANDS, e.g.:
[269] “Perhaps, Mary”, she said tentatively, “you wouldn’t mind giving us some tea?” (Night and Day)
[270] I wonder if you would be so kind as to cast a professional eye over the experimental laboratories for me. (Lucifer Rising)
Ironically, obedience can be made to seem an act of refined courtesy that honours the hearer.
VI.E MINOR CLAUSE TYPES
VI.71 MINOR CLAUSE TYPES do not manifest the formats of the MAJOR CLAUSE TYPES but can still sustain essential functions. They are exceedingly common in authentic discourse, but in conventional “grammars” have often been treated marginally or not at all.
VI.E.1 DEPENDENT CLAUSES
VI.72. Still, due attention has been accorded to the DEPENDENT CLAUSE: a MINOR TYPE with SUBJECT and PREDICATE, “depending on” and setting the BACKGROUND for an INDEPENDENT CLAUSE as a MAJOR TYPE which occupies the FOREGROUND in the same SENTENCE and which mainly carries some major function. Thus, [271] STATES the “falling” more than the “compassing”; [272] QUESTIONS the “dying” more than the “coming”; [273] EXCLAIMS about “being jealous” more than the “meeting”; and [274] COMMANDS the “checking” more than the “cooking”.
[271] By faith the walls of Jericho fell down, after they were compassed about seven days. (Hebrews 11:30)
[272] Do you think he would have died if you hadn't come? (Message to the Planet)
[273] I was jealous of Domino before I even met her! (Ungoverned Passion)
[274] Always check the stove is level when you're cooking. (Outdoor Action)
Also due to FOREGROUNDING, the reactions to a STATEMENT address the MAJOR PROCESS more than the MINOR PROCESS. Thus, the reacting speakers deny the “blackballing” (hubby was in fact kicked out, as you can see) more than the “trying to join” [275]; “disagree” with the “being important” more than with her “having hope” [276]; disbelieve the “standing ready” more than the “putting” or “turning” [277]; and are “glad” about a man “being a good cobbler” more than about his “looking very young” [278].
[275] “Your husband was blackballed when he tried to join the Country Club.” “That’s not true!” (Crime)
[276] “It’s important she should have hope.” “I don’t agree.” (Woman of My Age)
[277] “These parties stand ready to take the mills off your hands at the value I put upon them when I turned them in.” “I don’t believe you!” (Lapham)
[278] “Though he may look very young he’s a good cobbler.” “Glad to hear it.” (Shoemaker’s Daughter)
VI.73. When the two CLAUSE TYPES occur together, which is of course the unmarked PATTERN for “dependency”, both a DEPENDENT CLAUSE and an INDEPENDENT CLAUSE prefer a falling PITCH and END WEIGHT. In a separated PROSODY, the weight or length of each CLAUSE may justify assigning it its own TONE GROUP, set off by a pause in between [279-80] -- no matter which comes first. Sometimes ALTERNATIVE PITCH CONTOURS, with one rising and one falling, as we have seen for MAJOR CLAUSES (cf. IV.26, 40, 66), can be shared between MINOR and a MAJOR CLAUSE [281-82]; thanks to the distinct contrast in PITCH, no pause may be needed.
[Jean Marais and Josette Day in the version by Jean Cocteau ]
One plausible effect is to invite a relation of comparison between MINOR and MAJOR PROCESS, e.g., between two AGENTS who “moved”, or between the two MEDIUMS to play the “Beauty” or the “Beast”.
VI.73a One important version of this relationship is the RELATIVE DEPENDENT CLAUSE. The JUNCTIVES “who”, “whose”, and “whom” are usually applied to persons [279a-79c], though some variations appear in regional or archaic usages [280a-80b]. Also, the form “whom” seems unstable or confusing, appearing in Internet data also as the SUBJECT form, especially in the vicinity of a VERB [280c].
[279a] That that the woman who contributes to the support of her family by giving legal opinions should be less valued than she who in the past contributed to the support of her household by bending on hands and knees over her grindstone, or scrubbing floors [is one of those] suppositions which it is difficult to regard as consonant with any knowledge of human nature (Olive Schreiner, Women and Labour)
[279b] The Band Wagon stars Fred Astaire as Tony Hunter, a movie star whose career is in a downturn. (MTV Movies)
[279c] It is the woman whom I rescued from between the deathly paws of poverty; […] the woman whom my heart has loved and at whose feet I poured affection. (Khalil Gibran, Madame Rose Hanie)
[280a] I like a man what takes his time (Mae West)
[280b] When the dragon saw that he was cast unto the earth, he persecuted the woman which brought forth the man child. (Revelation 12:13)
[280c] The Communities' administrator defended the center's performance in caring for the woman, whom she said Wednesday had returned to Riverwalk after her hospitalization. (Central Florida News)
RELATIVES readily function like ADVERBIALS, such as TIME [281a], PLACE [281b],, MEANS [281c], or MANNER [281d].
[281a] I will wait for you at the place where the river bends (Pacbell)
[281b] It is as much a mistake to accept a thing without understanding it as to reject it without understanding it," Sculptor Jo Davidson wrote at the time when Manhattan's famed 1913 Armory Show plunged the U.S. headlong into modern art.
[281c] Association fulfils the promise of Christianity; it shows the means whereby peace on earth and goodwill among men are to be realized. (Brook Farm)
[281d] My design is to shew the manner wherein we perceive by sight the distance, magnitude, and situation of objects (George Berkeley)
These data are all IDENTIFYING RELATIVES that themselves determine who is involved, e.g., which type of “woman” in [279a]. Less common are in my data are AMPLIFYING RELATIVES that involve in a further PROCESS someone whose identity has already been established [282a, 282c, 282d] or can be easily inferred, such as the “hostess” of a “public house” [282b].
[282a] Presently the wife of one of the brothers came out with a vessel of elm-bark, and approached the spring. Hiawatha sat silent and motionless. Something in his aspect awed the woman, who feared to address him. (Iroquois Book of Rites)
[282b] Eliza turned into a small public house on the bank. […] The hostess, who was busy in various fizzing and stewing operations over the fire, stopped. with a fork in her hand. "I've got a child that's very dangerous," said Eliza. "and I've walked quite a piece today, in hopes to get to the ferry." "Well, now, that's onlucky," said the woman, whose motherly sympathies were much aroused. (Uncle Tom's Cabin)
[282c] The woman Cassy set down her lantern, and, pouring water from a bottle, raised his head, and gave him drink. […] The woman, whom long practice with the victims of brutality had made familiar with many healing arts, went on to make many applications to Tom's wounds (same)
[282d] It was no longer the landing-place. One had been made at the head of the creek […] I walked along the shore to the new landing-place, where were two or three store-houses and other buildings, forming a small depot; (Two Years before the Mast)
The standing convention, as we can see, has been to mark off this second type with a COMMA. But usage has been inconsistent, in part because the distinction between these two types is subtle and at times not firmly decidable, at least in my perception:
[281e] The young man met her at the station, took her to a saloon where he introduced her to a friend, an older woman. […] Although all efforts failed to find the young man, the woman who was his accomplice was fined one hundred and fifty dollars (Hull House) [or: the woman, who was his accomplice, was fined…]
[281f] The relations of the Indian country with the state in which its exiles had found refuge were necessarily of the closest and particularly so at this time when their return from exile was under way (The American Indian in the Civil War) [or: at this time, when their return...]
As with similarly delicate matters, most traditional grammars have tiptoed past with safe invented examples.
VI.74 Another important version of this relationship between PROCESSES in two CLAUSES is the CONDITIONAL DEPENDENT CLAUSE, which supplies some condition for the PROCESS expressed in the MAJOR CLAUSE. The ordinary CONDITIONAL co-ordinates two PROCESSES, making one contingent upon the other. Straightforward instances include the requirements for financial contributions:
[283] They continue to labor, relying on the honor and liberality of the planters for fair and reasonable pay. If they do not get these in two weeks, our correspondent writes, there will be a dead stop. (Anti-Slavery Examiner)
[284] Unless France and West Germany -- traditionally western Europe's biggest spenders on space technology -- can be persuaded to pay more, the Eumetsat project may not go ahead. (New Scientist)
Less straightforward is the CONDITIONAL COLLIGATION “if you ask me”, which consistently accompanies PEJORATIVE STATEMENT CLAUSES that haven’t actually been “asked” for:
[285] If you ask me he's a nasty piece of work who wouldn't bat an eyelid whatever she might do. (Classic English Crime)
[286] The bloke who made up those tests was the real loony if you ask me. (Misfortunes of Nigel)
VI.75 Then again, some CONDITIONALS shade over into a rather wistful prospect which could well count as UNDECIDABLE in the sense of IV.247:
[287] If you are wise, you will build yourselves a little nest secretly in the woods (Sweet-and-Twenty)
[288] The following Sunday Pat Muldoon stood in his local church at Gross Pointe, Michigan, and sang to the heavens, “If I can help somebody, as I go along, then my living will not be in vain”. (Man at the Sharp End)
[289] Even guys with two left feet come out alright if the girl is sweet (The Best Things Happen When You're Dancing)
The next stage moves toward the COUNTERFACTUAL CLAUSE, where the condition is presented as not being met:
[290] Oh, if these new pagans would only be old pagans, they would be a little wiser! The old pagans knew that mere naked Nature-worship must have a cruel side. (Father Brown)
[291] If you were human, you would remember that we once were happy, and be a little sorry that all that is over (A Domestic Conversation)
Here we find many uses of the COLLIGATIONS “if I was you” mainly issuing a warning to avoid about something PEJORATIVE [292] or (less often) advice to achieve something AMELIORATIVE [293] (cf. IV.202):
[292] “Ah, Mr Timothy, you don't want to have nothin’ to do with them tinkers. All of ‘em bad lots. I’d keep clear of ‘em if I was you.” “Well, you're not him”, snapped Agatha and waved her maid aside. (Topaz)
[293] If I were you I'd go the whole hog and set up a large invertebrate aquarium. It will be much more stable and you are likely to have a greater degree of success. (Fishkeeping)
VI.75 A decidedly AMELIORATIVE COUNTERFACTUAL is the OPTATIVE CLAUSE expressing a condition that is wished for but not expected and so leaving the contingent PROCESS unexpressed, yielding what may well be the most acceptable of all “sentence fragments”.
[294] Whitney is proud to be a true Carolina Blonde. If only she would fetch beer instead of tennis balls! (Carolina Blonde)WWW
[295] Topaz is a Field Spaniel. If only she would stop to the whistle!! (Lyndongraey)WWW
Contrarily, the OPTATIVE can occupy a MAJOR CLAUSE carrying a force related to a COMMAND, with the two PROCESSES firmly linked:
[296] The right way for you to do is hold your meeting and appoint delegates any how, and if there be any who will not take part, let it be so (Abraham Lincoln)
[297] Pop beauty Britney Spears refuses to hire a nanny to care for her impending arrival. “I wouldn't trust anyone to look after my child, and if that means the end of my career, then so be it”. (Musicroom)WWW
VI.74 In terms of PROSODY, the separation between CLAUSES may be so clear that the DEPENDENT CLAUSE is treated as an UTTERANCE in its own right. A common one occurs in answering a QUESTION from another speaker [298-99].
[298] "Do you know why I did that, Tess?” he said. “"Because you love me very much!” ( Tess of the d'Urbervilles)
[299] “Priscilla”," I inquired, lowering my voice, “when do you go back to Blithedale?” “Whenever they please to take me”, said she. (Blithedale Romance)
Or, the same speaker may express an afterthought [302-03].
[300] I think she might have done it as a quick way of finding out how the business worked. Because she was obviously both clever and ambitious. (Death of a Partner)
[301] “She is a jolly companion to be with, amusing, restful -- interesting.” “I think that is a fair description. When she cares, that is. When she is in good form.” (Secret Places)
These separated CLAUSES would also be “sentence fragments” for most teachers of “formal writing” (VI.88), who accord little attention to PROSODY.
VI.75 In an INTEGRATED PROSODY, both CLAUSES constitute a single TONE GROUP, provided that the weight or length is plainly low for the MINOR CLAUSE [302-03] or for the MAJOR CLAUSE [304-05], again no matter which comes first.
VI.76 INTEGRATED PROSODY is most BALANCED when the MINOR DEPENDENT CLAUSE is INTEGRATED also into the GRAMMAR of the MAJOR CLAUSE. The MINOR CLAUSE can be FRAMED in various PATTERNS [306-09], most clearly with the PROTOTYPICAL VERBS, and with the falling PITCH typical of STATEMENTS.
But here too, weight and length may call for separated PROSODY:
VI.77 In return, a MAJOR CLAUSE TYPE that is not a FRAME can integrate a MINOR CLAUSE into its own PROSODY, as for a QUESTION [311], an EXCLAMATION [312], and a COMMAND [313].
VI.78 FRAMING TAG STATEMENTS can retroactively contribute a COMMUNICATIVE FRAME to reaffirm a STATEMENT [299], or a QUESTION [300], or a COMMAND [301].
[314] Rearmament is a mistake, I tell you. (Maggie Jordan)
[315] How could anyone abuse a wee child like that, I ask you. (Inside the RUC)
[316] Just be thankful you haven’t got longer hair, I’m telling you. (conversation)BNC
VI.79 Extremely popular as retroactive COGNITIVE FRAMING TAGS are “you know” and “you see” (in the sense of “understand”, not “look at”), which less emphatically reaffirm the STATEMENT. “You know” can suggest that “you” are aware and are just being reminded, even when you are certainly not [317]; “you see” can suggest that the speaker is making something clear [303]; both show a WEAK STRESS on the VERB and a falling PITCH. The same PATTERNS function in FRAMING TAG QUESTIONS, with a WEAK STRESS on the VERB and a rising PITCH, both for making clear [304-305].
[317] And, you ¡know, there is no such thing as society. There are individual men and women... (Margaret Thatcher in Woman’s Own)
[318] Some dictatorships succeeded because they appealed to primitive instincts in people who were not interested in politics. That was true of Mussolini and Hitler above all; and to some extent of Reagan, you ¡see. (Independent)
[319] “I've no idea when MacAllister will be back. He's the architect in charge of the development, you ¡know?” “Is he?” (Destined to Love)
[320] “What about things like lighting in the pit?” […] “We only had oil lamps, […] and you had to carry your lamp in your teeth, you ¡see?” (Nottingham Oral History)BNC
Yet placed at the FRONT as an ordinary FRAME in the same TONE GROUP with a CERTAIN STRONG STRESS on the VERB, “you know” can indicate that STATEMENT is assured [306], whilst “you see” can indicate that the STATEMENT is confirmed by visual evidence [307].
[321] You !know we have settled all that already. We talked it all over last night. (Emma)
[322] Be calmer. You !see that I am composed (Dombey)
As NEGATIVE QUESTION FRAMES, “know” and “see” can also indicate CERTAINTY [308] and point to evidence [309], again with a STRONG STRESS.
[323] Don’t you !know that Venice is packed with visitors? (Mask of Deception)
[324] Don’t you !see that you’ve frightened him away? (Howard’s End)
VI.80 FRAMING EXCLAMATORY TAGS seem to appear in my data only after STATEMENTS, once more with a STRONG STRESS.
[325] I’m terribly sad that it happens, but it shouldn’t happen, you !see! (conversation)BNC
[326] You’ve a strenuous day ahead of you, you !know! (Distance Enchanted)
VI.81 Far more could be said on the functions of DEPENDENT MINOR CLAUSES, but my brief review should suffice to describe some linguistic, cognitive, and social functions aspects of their “dependency”. Whether INTEGRATED or not, a DEPENDENT CLAUSE is strategic to express a contingent PROCESS that is not being stated, questioned, exclaimed, or commanded in its own right, but supplies the BACKGROUND for a MAJOR PROCESS that is.
[327] ¡See·ing the ¡per·il !past, ¡all the !by·¡stand·ers ¡burst into de·!ris·ive !laugh·ter. (Ben Hur)
[328] The ¡par·son ar·!riving, and the ¡horses being !rea·dy, the ¡squire de·!part·ed (Tom Jones)
[329] The ¡work !fin·ished, the ¡dead !bur·ied and the ¡site !cleared, Bat·ty !Green re·¡vert·ed to a ¡sul·len !si·lence (Wainwright)
[330] ¡He will ¡not be !moved by !me, !he ¡be·ing so !fair, and !I ¡be·ing but !some·what ¡fair. (World's End)
[331] But ¡some·how, with it ¡be·ing my !birth·¡day I sup·¡pose, and ¡me ¡be·ing !six·ty, I ¡got it into my !head that the !Lord would per·¡haps re·!mem·ber me. (Women of the Country)++
The preferred PROSODY has a falling PITCH CONTOUR much like the FINITE DEPENDENT CLAUSE and STRONG STRESS for END WEIGHT [332-33].
VI.83 A NON-FINITE CLAUSE can be loosely linked with a FINITE one by “and” or “what with”, maybe implying an ironic or distressing relation between PROCESSES: a PRESENT PARTICIPLE in an ACTIVE [334] or a MEDIAL [335], PAST PARTICIPLE in a PASSIVE [336], or INFINITIVE for what is about to happen [337]. Again, we see the PRO-NOUN in the function of SUBJECT in the form of SUBJECT or OBJECT.
[334] And ¡here’s !me !dy·in’ to !go and !him ¡hav·in’ ¡all the !chanc·es, and ¡him !hat·ing !books (conversation)BNC
[335] The !at·mos·¡phere is now !dif·fer·ent, ¡what with the !crick·et·ers ¡play·ing ¡in·ter·!nat·ional·ly and ¡sev·er·al !fight·ers ¡go·ing to ¡South !Af·ri·ca (Daily Telegraph)
[336] his !mas·ter !bolt·ed with his ¡place, and ¡him !blamed for it! (Dombey)
[337] ¡You and ¡Mar·gar·et should ¡come and ¡live at the !par·son·age -- ¡you to be a ¡sort of !lay !cur·ate, and ¡take the un·!washed ¡off my !hands; and ¡she to be our !house·¡keep·er (North and South)
VI.84 A NON-FINITE CLAUSE can be FRAMED with suitable FRAMING VERBS for COMMUNICATIVE PROCESSES like “describe” [338], “declare” [339], or “proclaim” [340].
[338] ¡I de·!scribed the !gor·geous ¡Bab·y·!lon·ian !har·lot ¡rid·ing ¡forth in her !char·i·ot of !gold (Parish)
[339] These ¡men de·!clare, with a·¡larmed !coun·te·nance, the !brig·ands to be ¡com·ing (French Revolution)
[340] This ¡Ger·man !So·cial·ism […] pro·¡claimed the !Ger·man !na·tion to be the !mod·el ¡na·tion (Manifesto of the Communist Party)
Similarly, the OBJECT of VERBS for PERCEPTIVE and COGNITIVE PROCESSES can also be the SUBJECT of a NON-FINITE CLAUSE:
[341] I ¡be·¡held the !roof !burn·ing. (Volcanoes)
[342] Ber·!nice ¡found her ¡eyes !caught by !flash·es of !light (Deceit)
[343] Herr !Nord·ern ¡felt his ¡hand !trem·ble. (Bury the Dead)
[344] She ¡knew her be·¡lov·ed !Cath·er·ine to ¡have so !feel·ing a !heart (Northanger Abby)
[345] she be·¡lieved him to be ¡real·ly ¡tak·ing !com·fort in ¡some so·!ci·e·ty (Emma)
VI.85 A useful NON-FINITE CLAUSE makes up for the IMPERATIVE form limiting COMMANDS to the SECOND PERSON. Here, the FINITE COMMAND is formed with “let”, whose OBJECT is also the SUBJECT of an INFINITIVE expressing the ACTION or EVENT the COMMAND is intended to motivate (VI.66). “Let” generally rates only WEAK STRESS, whilst END WEIGHT mainly decides if the INFINITIVE rates either STRONG STRESS (e.g., “approach” in [346]) or WEAK STRESS (e.g., “making” in [347]). The PITCH CONTOUR is usually a falling one, much as for ordinary COMMANDS.
In a few data, the speaker commands some SECOND-PERSON audience to perform (or not perform) an ERGATIVE of “letting do” in the AFFIRMATIVE [348] or NEGATIVE [349], as distinct from ordinary allowing [350-51].
[348] Most ¡gra·cious !Duke, with thy com·!mand ¡let him be ¡brought !forth (Comedy of Errors)
[349] ¡Don’t let the ¡ul·tra·so·!phis·ti·cates ¡put you ¡off the ¡guid·ed ¡city !tour. (Beaten Track)
[350] “She had ¡bet·ter ¡go out of the !room.” “Let her !stay”, said Madame Merle. (Portrait of a Lady)
[351] ¡Look !out, he’s !turn·ing! ¡Don’t let him ¡get a!·way! (Tom Sawyer)
More often, the plausible reading is merely a NON-FINITE COMMAND that the DIRECT OBJECT AGENT should act without specifying anyone to “let” them do so. AFFIRMATIVES like [352-53] are common in my data, whilst NEGATIVES like [354-55] are rare.
[352] ¡Let the !child who ¡broke her !slate ¡come !for·ward! (Eyre)
[353] Let the !guilt·y !trem·ble, ¡there·fore, and the !sus·pect, and the !rich (French Revolution)
[354] ¡Let the ¡Ro·man !sen·a·tor ¡not de·!spise the ¡poor Pom·!pe·ian. (Pompeii)
[355] ¡Don’t ¡let the ¡hon·our·a·ble ¡gen·tle·man for·!get that we ¡now ¡have ¡one ¡point ¡four ¡mil·lion ¡more in ¡work in the ¡U·!K than we ¡had ¡ten ¡years a¡·go. (House of Commons)
Occasionally, the intention is sarcastic defiance, implying it will hardly be done or else to no purpose, and the PROSODY carries louder VOLUME and slower PACE:
[356] “¡Let him !dare to !force you!” I ¡cried. “There’s !law in the !land.” (Wuthering)
[357] ¡Let him ¡do his !spite. My !ser·vic·es, which ¡I have ¡done the !Sign·ior·y, shall ¡out·!tongue his com·¡plaints. (Othello)
[358] ¡Let the !whole of cre·!a·tion ¡share this sub·!lime !hap·pi·ness. (Joy Bringer)WWW
[359] ¡Let the !sky !rain po·!ta·toes; ¡let it !thun·der to the ¡tune of !Green·¡sleeves (Merry Wives)
[360] ¡Let !ug·ly !Dark·ness, with her ¡rust·y !coach, !smoth·er the !earth with ¡nev·er-¡fad·ing !mists (Tamburlaine)
VI.86 A “let” COMMAND may propose the audience to join the speaker in acting together. The unmarked OBJECT of “let” is then the FIRST PERSON PLURAL “us” [361-62], whereas I found just a few instances of “you and me” [363]. Again, the INFINITIVE can take WEAK STRESS or STRONG STRESS.
[361] ¡Let us ¡all !slip in·to our !beds, and !be ¡there when she ¡comes ¡in (Peter Pan)
[362] ¡Don’t ¡let us !talk about it ¡an·y ¡more (Dorian)
[363] ¡Let ¡you and ¡me ¡have a !stor·y !club all our ¡own (Green Gables)
In regional usage, the popular CONTRACTION “let’s” (“let + us”) may take additional OBJECTS despite the contracted PRO-NOUN, hence “let’s us” [364] (STRONG STRESS), or “let’s you and me” [365] and “let’s me and you” [366] (both WEAK STRESS).
[364] “¡Go ¡‘long !home and get !laughed ¡at.” […] “¡Let’s !us ¡go, ¡too, ¡Tom.” (Sawyer)
[365] ¡Let’s ¡me and ¡you !bunch our !com·¡mis·sar·y de·!part·ments and ¡make a !stew (Options)
[366] ¡Let’s ¡you and ¡me ¡go !down to the !cir·cus (Punkin Center)
As I noted before (VI.66), causal or regional usage also turns up “leave” instead of “let". I was only familiar with “us” [367-68], but I found occasional uses of other PERSONS [369-70].
[367] At the ¡end of the !u·nit there was a !lev·el ¡place on which a cro·!quet ¡court had been ¡set up. “¡Leave us !play”, ¡Ruth·ie ¡cried. ¡“Leave us get !in.” (Grapes of Wrath)
[368] ¡Please ¡leave us ¡find our !own ¡way, without your ¡whol·ly un·!we·lcome, !pa·tron·¡is·ing ¡in·ter·!ven·tions and !un·¡truths. (Hill & Knowlton and the Maldives)WWW
[369] ¡Now ¡leave me ¡get this !right! Are ¡all ¡you ¡fine ¡peo·ple ¡say·ing that my !Growth ¡funds are being ¡trans·!form·en·¡at·ed (¡spell ¡check ¡has·n't a !clue) into !Val·ue? (Morningstar)
[370] ¡So ¡Bri·an, ¡listen !up and ¡leave her get ¡on with her !life! (Kerry Katona Slams Brian McFadden's Verbal Attack)WWW
VI.87 Compared to DEPENDENT CLAUSES, NON-FINITE MINOR CLAUSES generally function more decidedly as BACKGROUND. Apparently, the choice of NON-FINITE reflects an intention to mention one MINOR PROCESS setting the scene or circumstances for the MAJOR PROCESS in a FINITE CLAUSE (IV.58). However, the NON-FINITE COMMANDS just reviewed reverse the priorities, with “let” often merely a DUMMY PROCESS, and the MINOR PROCESS by its form is the MAJOR PROCESS by its function.
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