The construal of objectivity in atemporal complement clauses in English

Abstract

In Cognitive Grammar, the syntax of a complement clause construction reflects the particular construal imposed on its conceptual content. Differences in syntax reflect differences in construal. One such construal concerns perspective, which can be subjective or objective. A personal construction portrays the speaker's involvement in the complement event; thus it is construed as subjective. Subjectivity is the act of judging an event which is influenced by personal opinions. An impersonal construction portrays the speaker's distance from the complement event; thus it is construed as objective. Objectivity is the act of judging an event without being influenced by personal opinions. This paper explores the impact of objectivity on the syntactic realization of atemporal complement clauses. Impersonal constructions take various forms which represent different construals. One construal pertains to scope. A non-extra- posed construction signals a minimal range of content in describing a complement event. An extraposed construction signals a maximal range of content in describing a complement event. Another construal relates to profile. A non-raised construction profiles a whole complement event. A raised construction profiles the most salient entity in a complement event.