Presenting Unsupported Claims As A Survey: Contact & Grammar

Martin (1992: 532):

A number of the key realisations for involved and uninvolved contact are surveyed below.

Table 7.12. Tenor — Aspects of the realisation of contact
Contact proliferation contraction [phonology foregrounded]	involved	uninvolved
grammar	minor clauses	major clauses
	Mood ellipsis	no ellipsis
	Mood contraction	no contraction
	vocation	no vocation
	range of names	single name
	nick-name	full name

Blogger Comments:

[1] The claim here is that:

• the grammar feature of 'minor' clause construes the tenor feature of 'involved' contact (a lot of previous contact between interlocutors), whereas
• the grammar feature of 'major' clause construes the tenor feature of 'uninvolved' contact (less previous contact between interlocutors).

Minor clauses include exclamations, calls, greetings and alarms; major clauses are the rest: those expressing mood and transitivity.  The claim can be falsified by a concrete example:

• exclamations, calls, greetings and alarms between people who not previously met are claimed to construe the tenor feature of 'involved' contact (a lot of previous contact between interlocutors), whereas
• the clauses expressing transitivity and mood of married couples are claimed to construe the tenor feature of 'uninvolved' contact (less previous contact between interlocutors).

[2] The claim here is that:

• the grammar feature of 'Mood ellipsis' construes the tenor feature of 'involved' contact (a lot of previous contact between interlocutors), whereas
• the grammar feature of 'no ellipsis' construes the tenor feature of 'uninvolved' contact (less previous contact between interlocutors).

The claim can be falsified by a concrete example:

• I'll just get that form signed and sent off for you is claimed to construe the tenor feature of 'involved' contact (a lot of previous contact between interlocutors), whereas
• I'll cook tonight and I'll even wash the dishes is claimed to construe the tenor feature of 'uninvolved' contact (less previous contact between interlocutors).

[3] The claim here is that:

• the grammar feature of "vocation" construes the tenor feature of 'involved' contact (a lot of previous contact between interlocutors), whereas
• the grammar feature of "no vocation" construes the tenor feature of 'uninvolved' contact (less previous contact between interlocutors).

The claim can be falsified by a concrete example:

• Was I speeding, officer? is claimed to construe the tenor feature of 'involved' contact (a lot of previous contact between interlocutors), whereas
• I'll be late home tonight is claimed to construe the tenor feature of 'uninvolved' contact (less previous contact between interlocutors).