Formulaic sequences: a drop in the ocean of constructions or something more significant?^**

^*The article is based in part on work presented at the 6th Formulaic Language Research Network (FLaRN) conference, held at Swansea University, 29 May 2014.

Figures & data

Figure 1. Steps of the extraction.

Table 1. Formulaic sequence types with schematic elements (SEs) by category (sample n = 763 types).

Category	n	Non-optional		Optional		Any SE		> 1 SE
Formulas	8	6	(75)	1	(13)	6	(75)	2	(25)
Collocations	87	73	(84)	35	(40)	76	(87)	32	(37)
Multi-word terms	183	34	(19)	40	(22)	70	(38)	6	(3)
Usual sequences	485	168	(35)	225	(46)	337	(69)	67	(14)
All	763	281	(37)	301	(39)	489	(64)	107	(14)

Note: Percentages in parentheses, relative to column ‘n’.

Table 2. Examples of formulaic sequences with non-optional schematic elements.

Category	Examples	Examples of schematic element realisations
Formulas	this means that X	young children learn difficult tasks better if...
	collectively known as X	romance languages / cipher notations / the judiciary
	with the exception of X	glycine / the Finns / a few small private railway lines
	to note that X	‘downloading’ is not the same as ‘transferring’
Collocations	threatened with X	extinction / disaster / lawsuits / excommunication
	tired of X	his music / her detective Poirot / taking care of Gregor
	relationship with X	his mother / a German-born English woman / Clara / him
	imprisoned for X	armed robbery / doing so / endangering state security
Multi-word terms	Ariane NUM	1 / 2 / 3 / 42P / 42L
	School of X	economics / business / journalism / design / law
	average annual X	growth rate / consumption / temperature / inflation
	X for Best Actress	Golden Globe Award / BAFTA Award / nomination
Usual sequences	placed NUM	5th / 6th / 4th / 15th
	spent most of X	his childhood / the rest of his life / 1917 / their time
	it is unknown X	how many more perished / who are financing the PVV
	as many as NUM	50,000 / 35 / six / a couple of tens of thousands

Note: Examples for schematic element realisations are non-exhaustive.

Table 3. Examples of formulaic sequences with optional schematic elements.

Formula	With the [further / occasional / sole / possible / notable] exception of X
Collocations	noted [in an article / by one researcher / the fact / in 2004 / at the time] that X
	drawing [heavily] on X
	is [broadly / entirely / relatively / also / not / otherwise] consistent with X
	varies [inversely / significantly / nonlinearly / strongly / periodically] with X
Multi-word terms	the [UK album / top of the / US and UK / German / pop / Oricon] charts
	the [Warsaw Treaty / largest standing / regular / police and / Iranian] armed forces
	the [Provisional] IRA
	was [later / mistakenly / struck and / captured and / also / reportedly] killed
Usual sequences	a [wide / narrow / diverse / small / limited / largely random] selection of X
	was [speedily / famously / subsequently / first] translated into X
	on [false / supposed / fabricated / 11 / two / fresh] charges of X
	could [no longer / not / probably / still / well / only / nominally] be considered

Note: Examples for schematic element realisations are non-exhaustive.

Table 4. Examples of formulaic sequences without schematic elements.

Formulas	in this respect / a few days later
Collocations	in parentheses / high frequency / most visited / most valuable / took charge / on film / several ways / in large numbers / much less
Multi-word terms	quality of life / Julius Caesar / hard drives / Football Association / Buenos Aires / House of Commons / App Store / natural history / show up / stay on / has grown
Usual sequences	in large part / not fully / on the radio / after the match / in many cases / on his own / at the time of his death / listed below / earthquake and tsunami / in its entirety