CASA — A Constructionist Approach to Syntactic Analysis

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Construction Hierarchy

Argument-Structure Constructions

Intransitive Construction potential subject   V  
Monotransitive Construction potential subject: NP   V   unit in predicate: NP  
Monotransitive Constructions (clausal objects)
Ditransitive Construction (Obj: NP) potential subject: NP   V   unit in predicate: NP   unit in predicate: NP  
Ditransitive Construction (Obj: to-INF) potential subject: NP   V   unit in predicate: NP   unit in predicate: to-INF  
Resultative Construction (Attr: to-INF) potential subject: NP   V   unit in predicate: NP   unit in predicate: to-INF  
Ditransitive Construction (Obj: INF) potential subject: NP   V   unit in predicate: NP   unit in predicate: INF  
Attribute Construction (Attr: to-INF) potential subject: NP   V   unit in predicate: NP   unit in predicate: to-INF  
Ditransitive Construction (that-cl) potential subject: NP   V   unit in predicate: NP   unit in predicate: (that)-CLfin
Ditransitive Construction (Obj: wh-CL) potential subject: NP   V   unit in predicate: NP   unit in predicate: wh-CL  
Ditransitive Construction (Obj: wh-to-inf) potential subject: NP   V   unit in predicate: NP   unit in predicate: wh to_INF  
Self-Motion Construction potential subject: NP   V   unit in predicate: PP  
Caused-Motion Construction potential subject: NP   V   unit in predicate: NP   unit in predicate: PP  
Subject-Attribute Construction (Attr: NP) potential subject: NP   V   unit in predicate: NP  
Subject-Attribute Construction (Attr: AdjP) potential subject: NP   V   unit in predicate: AdjP  
Subject-Attribute Construction (Attr: PP) potential subject: NP   V   unit in predicate: PP  
Subject-Attribute Construction (Attr: that-CL) potential subject: NP   V   unit in predicate: that-CL  
Object Attribute Construction (Attr: NP) potential subject: NP   V   unit in predicate: NP   unit in predicate: NP  
Attribute Construction (Attr: Adj) potential subject: NP   V   unit in predicate: NP   unit in predicate: AdjP  
Resultative Construction (Attr: Adj) potential subject: NP   V   unit in predicate: NP   unit in predicate: AdjP  
Attribute Construction (Attr: V-ing) potential subject: NP   V   unit in predicate: NP   unit in predicate: V-ing  
TO-Recipient-ABOUT-Topic Construction potential subject: NP   V   unit in predicate: PPto   unit in predicate: PPabout
TO-Recipient-FOR-Fact Construction potential subject: NP   V   unit in predicate: PPto   unit in predicate: PPfor
TO-Recipient-FOR-Desired-Object Construction potential subject: NP   V   unit in predicate: PPto   unit in predicate: PPfor
TO-Recipient-Action Construction potential subject: NP   V   unit in predicate: PPto   unit in predicate: to-INF  
TO-Judge-Action Construction potential subject: NP   V   unit in predicate: PPto   unit in predicate: to-INF  
Self-Change-Resultative Construction
Caused-Change-Resultative Construction
Change-of-State Construction potential subject: NP   V   unit in predicate: NP   unit in predicate: PPfrom and/or PPinto
Into-CAUSATIVE Construction potential subject: NP   V   unit in predicate: NP   unit in predicate: PPinto
About-REFERENCE-AREA Construction potential subject: NP   V   unit in predicate: PPabout
On-FOCUS-AREA Construction potential subject: NP   V   unit in predicate: PPon
To-RECIPIENT/GOAL Construction potential subject: NP   V   unit in predicate: PPto
With-PARTNER Construction potential subject: NP   V   unit in predicate: PPwith
With-Emotion Construction potential subject: NP   V   unit in predicate: PPwith
AT-Conative Construction potential subject: NP   V   unit in predicate: PPat
FOR-DESIRED-OBJECT Construction potential subject: NP   V   unit in predicate: PPfor
ÆFFECTED+FOR-DESIRED-OBJECT Construction potential subject: NP   V   unit in predicate: NP   unit in predicate: PPfor
Exchange-X-for-Y Construction potential subject: NP   V   unit in predicate: NP   unit in predicate: PPfor
X-Is-Difficult-to-Answer Construction potential subject   BE   Adj   postmod: to-INF  
THEY-ARE-WILLING-TO-PAY Construction potential subject   BE   Adj   postmod: to-INF  
He-Was-Brave-to-Say-That Construction potential subject   BE   Adj   postmod: to-INF  
SHE-WAS-SURPRISED-TO-HEAR Construction potential subject   BE   Adj   postmod: to-INF  
We-Are-Able-to-Make Construction potential subject   BE   Adj   postmod: to-INF  
X-IS-LIKELY-TO Construction potential subject   BE   Adj   postmod: to-INF  
IT-THAT Construction subject: it   BE/SEEM   unit in predicate: Adj/NP   unit in predicate: that-clause/if-clause  
IT-FOR-Event Construction potential subject: it   BE/SEEM   Attr: Adj   EXTRA: for NP to-INF  
NICE-OF-YOU Construction potential subject: it   BE   Adj   PPof   EXTRA: to-INF  
Impersonal Evaluative Construction potential subject: it   V: BE   Adj   EXTRA: to-INF  

Verb-Specific Argument-Structure Constructions

Put-up-with-Verb-Particle Construction potential subject: NP   V: put   particle: up   particle: with   unit in predicate: NP  
Take-off-Intransitive-Verb-Particle Construction potential subject: NP   V: take   particle: off  
Give-up-Monotransitive-Verb-Particle Construction

Idiomatic Constructions

The-Two-of-Them Construction the   CARDINAL   of   PERS PRON  
God-knows-what Construction
The-early-bird-catches-the-worm Construction

Noun-Phrase Constructions

Indefinite-Singular-NP Construction [A-NOUN CXN] a/an   Nsg
Indefinite-Plural-NP Construction Npl
Mass-NP Construction Nsg
Definite-Singular-NP Construction the   Nsg
Definite-Plural-NP Construction [THE-NOUN CXN] the   Npl
I-Definite-NP Construction I  
ME-Definite-NP Construction me  
WE-Definite-Reference-NP Construction we  
US-Definite-Reference-NP Construction us  
You-Definite-Reference-NP Construction you  
HE-Definite-Reference-NP Construction he  
HIM-Definite-Reference-NP Construction him  
SHE-Definite-Reference-NP Construction she  
HER-Definite-Reference-NP Construction her  
IT-Definite-Reference-NP Construction it  
THEY-Definite-Reference-NP Construction they  
THEM-Definite-Reference-NP Construction them  
MYSELF-Reflexive-Reference-NP Construction myself  
YOURSELF-Reflexive-Reference-NP Construction yourself  
HERSELF-Reflexive-Reference-NP Construction herself  
HIMSELF-Reflexive-Reference-NP Construction himself  
ITSELF-Reflexive-Reference-NP Construction itself  
OURSELVES-Reflexive-Reference-NP Construction ourselves  
YOURSELVES-Reflexive-Reference-NP Construction yourselves  
THEMSELVES-Reflexive-Reference-NP Construction themselves  
EACH-OTHER-Reciprocal-Reference-NP Construction each other  
ONE-ANOTHER-Reciprocal-Reference-NP Construction one another  
Genitive-NP Construction
Demonstrative-Singular-NP Construction
Demonstrative-Plural-NP Construction
Numerical-Singular-NP Construction
Numerical-Plural-NP Construction
General-Quantifier-Singular-NP Construction
General-Quantifier-Plural-NP Construction
General-Quantifier-Mass-NP Construction
Ranking-NP Construction
First-Name-NP Construction Nfirst name
Last-Name-NP Construction Nlast name
Full-Name-NP Construction Nfirst name   Nlast name
Complex-Full-Name-NP Construction Nfirst name   Nmiddle name initial   Nfull name
Title-NP Constructions
Premodifier-of-Noun Construction
General Postmodifier-of-Noun Construction
Relative Postmodifier-of-Noun Construction
Valency-Postmodifier-of-Noun Construction

Adjective and Adverb Constructions

Adjective Construction
Adjectival-with-PARTNER Construction contextual anchor   Adj   postmodifier: PP  
Premodifier-of-Adjective Construction Adv   Adj  
General Postmodifier-of-Adjective Construction Adj   PP  
Superlative Construction
Most-/Least-Construction
Comparative Construction
More-Than-Comparison Construction (type 1)
More-Than-Comparison Construction (type 2)
More-Than-Comparison Construction (type 3)

Sentence-Type Constructions

Declarative-Statement Construction Subj   PRED: Vfin
Declarative-Question Construction Subj   PRED: Vfin
Yes/No-Question Construction PREDop   Subj   PREDrest
Wh-Question Construction (wh not subject) PREDwh   PREDop   Subj   PREDrest
Wh-Question Construction (wh as subject) Subjwh: wh   PRED: Vfin
Imperative Construction Subj   PRED: Vbase
Negative-Imperative Construction PRED: Don't   Subj: (you)   PRED: Vbase ∈ PREDrest
Exclamative Construction PRED: wh   Subj   PREDrest: Vtam
Affirmative-Tag Construction Declarative-Statement Construction   op pron  
Controversial-Tag Construction Declarative-Statement Construction   op pron  
Comparative Correlative Construction without Verb

Tense and Person Constructions

First-Person-Singular-Present-Tense Construction
Third-Person-Singular-Present-Tense Construction
General-Present-Tense Construction (2nd person singular and all plurals)
First & Third-Person-Singular-Past-Tense Construction
General-Past-Tense Construction (2nd person singular and all plurals)
Progressive Construction BE   V-ing
Perfective Construction
Passive Construction

Information-Packaging Constructions

Focus-NP Construction NP  
It-Cleft Construction
Wh-Cleft Construction
Topicalization Construction