Filter Verbs | Liar, Liar
The next offender in our sequence of barrier objects is a big one: filter verbs. Filter Verbs Defined She felt the cold November wind wafting… Read More »Filter Verbs | Liar, Liar
syntax
Excessive Expressive Dialogue Tags | Liar, Liar
Continuing in our series of literary barrier objects, we delve into the boondoggle of excessive, expressive dialogue tags. The Basics A dialogue tag, as its… Read More »Excessive Expressive Dialogue Tags | Liar, Liar
Barrier Objects: An Introduction | Liar, Liar
This section of the Liar, Liar blog series explores Barrier Objects, a term that refers to a non-verbal cue for deception. “Non-verbal?” you might ask.… Read More »Barrier Objects: An Introduction | Liar, Liar
Hedging with Modals and Modifiers
Nestled among the marked (or “dispreferred”) behaviors of discourse we find a lovely little linguistic feature known as “hedging.” Hedging is the default refuge of… Read More »Hedging with Modals and Modifiers
Always Ask the Right Questions
Oh, the Interrogative Mood! What fun our questions bring to communication! Here’s a quick run-down: Direct Questions Direct questions come in question/answer pairs, where the… Read More »Always Ask the Right Questions
The Case of the Autonomous Body Parts
Prescriptive Rule: “Never use a body part as the subject of your sentence.” E.g., “Her shoulders rose in a hapless shrug.” (This structure is deemed bad, according… Read More »The Case of the Autonomous Body Parts
Hopefully You’re Not Offended by This
It never fails to amaze me the outrage that people can muster up about language use. An example from the recent past lies in the… Read More »Hopefully You’re Not Offended by This
7 Things Every Writer Should Know about Linguistics
It’s a big, complicated word, “linguistics,” stuffed with technical concepts and broad theories. If writing is your craft, though, this particular study could well be… Read More »7 Things Every Writer Should Know about Linguistics
Verbs, Part 6: Conclusion (for now)
Objectives:
- Describe major verb features and their functions.
- Classify specific verbs according to the theta-roles they assign.
Skill level: Advanced
As indicated by the title, this is the final post in my verb series, though not necessarily my final post on verbs. (Who knows what the future holds, yeah?) This is mostly an overview post, so it’s short, quick, and to the point.
Verbs, Part 5: Copulas and Existentials
This post covers two essential constructs most commonly associated with the verb to be.
Objectives:
- Demonstrate understanding of copulas and existentials.
- Eliminate the existential construct in favor of a stronger subject and main verb.
Skill Level: Intermediate
Copulas, AKA Linking Verbs
In English, the term “copula” (or “linking verb”) refers to a verb that links a subject and a subject predicate. (The subject predicate, as indicated by its name, takes a nominative case.) The copula serves as a sort of grammatical placeholder and holds little lexical meaning despite its grammatical and rhetorical purpose.