English Auxiliaries

Abstract

Auxiliaries are one of the most complex areas of English syntax. Disagreement over both the principles and details of their grammar has been substantial. Anthony Warner here offers a detailed account of both their synchronic and diachronic properties. He first argues that lexical properties are central to their grammar, which is relatively non-abstract. He then traces in detail the history of processes of grammaticalisation in their development and claims most notably that we can identify a group of auxiliaries in English from an early period on formal, not just semantic, grounds. This book meets the dual challenge of accounting for both the grammar and the history of the English auxiliary. It will be essential reading for all those interested in English syntax and its history.

The Use of Model Verbs as a Reflection of Cultural Values

“…Lyons (1977) stipulated that modal verbs of obligation are subjective with respect to some authority or moral values; however, the sources of authority are rarely specified. According to Warner (1993), the speaker's evaluation and judgment determines the contextual appropriateness of obligation and necessity that is implicit in the meanings of must, have to, and should. In his view, the abstract and indeterminate notions of obligation and necessity are central to the meanings of the modals that express them.…”

"Like Cords Around My Heart": Sacred Harp Memorial Lessons and the Transmission of Tradition

“…13 Swanson's memorial lesson and Henderson's post to a Sacred Harp listserv both express concern about a lack of genuine engagement with death and suffering in contemporary American culture. In the Sacred Harp community, they find some of the same characteristics that Stephen Warner attributes to modern American religious institutions: "In a system where religious institutions comprehend not the whole society but subcultures, modernity, migration, and mobility make it possible for people to found religious associations that are at once self-selected and adapted to present circumstances" (Warner 1993:1060, cf. Olson 1993.…”

The Rise and Fall of Constructions and the History of EnglishDo-Support

“…(Warner 1993:114) Denison (1993 notes that each modal followed its own path from root verb to auxiliary, as shown by their co-occurrence with infinitival complements:…”