Register Distribution of English Detached Nonfinite/Nonverbal with Explicit Subject Constructions - a Corpus-Based and Machine-Learning Approach

Aug 4, 2026

Quantitative corpus-based analysis explores the register distribution of detached nonfinite/nonverbal clauses with explicit subject constructions in contemporary English. While prior work described syntactic diversity, no study provided quantitative coverage of all types across modern registers. Using R, the study both analyzes clause distributions in the BNC corpus and tests their occurrence across registers with a machine-learning model. Results support an integrated corpus-and-ML methodology and challenge claims of limited usage by showing broad presence in formal and informal discourse, written and spoken.

LanguageEnglish

CategoryResearch & Report

FormatPDF

Pages14

Reading Time35 min

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Abstract

1. Introduction

2. Related Works

Register Distribution of English Detached Nonfinite/ Nonverbal with Explicit Subject Constructions: a Corpus-Based and Machine-Learning Approach Viktoriia Zhukovska1, Oleksandr Mosiiuk1 and Solomija Buk2 1 Zhytomyr Ivan Franko State University, Velyka Berdychivska str. 40, Zhytomyr, 10008, Ukraine 2 Ivan Franko National University of Lviv, Universytetska str. 1, Lviv, 79000, Ukraine Abstract This article presents the findings of a quantitative corpus-based analysis of the register distribution of detached nonfinite/ nonverbal with explicit subject constructions in present-day English. Despite substantial research on the linguistic diversity of the syntactic patterns understudy, no quantitative corpus and machine-learning analysis of the distribution of all their types in modern English registers has been presented. Thus, the statistical platform R was employed to accomplish two goals: 1) to undertake a quantitative corpus-based analysis of register distribution of the analyzed clauses in the BNC corpus and 2) to assess the possibility of occurrence of the clauses under research in the registers of present-day English on the basis of a machine-learning model. The findings of this study provide compelling evidence for the applicability of an integrated quantitative corpus linguistic and machine learning analysis for investigating the linguistic behavior of complex clause-level constructions, such as English detached nonfinite/ nonverbal with explicit subject constructions. The obtained results refute the prevalent view in contemporary English grammars that detached nonfinite/ nonverbal with explicit subject constructions have a limited scope of use and demonstrate that the analyzed syntactic patterns expand their register distribution, penetrating both the written and spoken registers of contemporary formal and informal English discourse. Keywords Cognitive-quantitative construction grammar, clause-level construction, statistical platform, integrated approach 1. Introduction Since the 1990s, the field of linguistics has undergone a significant methodological shift. It gradually reopened the empirical methods of corpus and experimental linguistics, transforming itself from a primarily rationalist discipline. This shift in methodology has changed the way linguists approach and analyze language, allowing for more accuracy and precision in their analysis. Consequently, the application of quantitative methods appears to have altered “the ecology of methodology in linguistics research” [1, p. 4], and text corpora have become “the alpha and omega of linguistics” [2, p. 8] . The use of corpus data has become indispensable in many areas of language study [3, p. 114], including those traditionally favoring a rationalist approach, such as syntax. This research focuses on detached nonfinite/ nonverbal clauses with an explicit subject in English. The following contexts from the British National Corpus (BNC) [4] illustrate the clauses under consideration (1–5): (1) Katherine sat silently for a long moment, [ØAUG[NPher eyes] [XPgrowing perceptibly wider]],[[NPthe color] [XPdraining from her cheeks]](BNC; FNT); (2) Nathan was standing defiantly, [ØAUG[NPhands] [XPin pockets]], near the window (BNC; AD9); COLINS-2023: 7th International Conference on Computational Linguistics and Intelligent Systems, April 20–21, 2023, Kharkiv, Ukraine [EMAIL: victoriazhukovska@gmail.com](EMAIL: victoriazhukovska@gmail.com) (V. Zhukovska); [mosxandrwork@gmail.com](mosxandrwork@gmail.com) (O. Mosiiuk); [solomija@gmail.com](solomija@gmail.com) (S. Buk) ORCID: 0000-0002-4622-4435 (V. Zhukovska); 0000-0003-3530-1359 (O. Mosiiuk); 0000-0001-8026-3289 (S. Buk) ©️ 2023 Copyright for this paper by its authors. Use permitted under Creative Commons License Attribution 4.0 International (CC BY 4.0) . CEUR Workshop Proceedings ([CEUR-WS.org](CEUR-WS.org)) (3) The Coroner was in his early forties, a gaunt, greying man, [[AUGwith] [NPthick

FAQs

What research questions does the article address?

It investigates how detached nonfinite/nonverbal clauses with explicit subject constructions are distributed across English registers, and whether their occurrence can be predicted using a machine-learning model based on corpus data.

Which data source is used for the corpus-based analysis?

The study uses the British National Corpus (BNC) to quantify register distribution of the analyzed clause types.

What do the findings show about the scope of these constructions?

The results refute the view that these constructions have limited use, demonstrating that they expand their register distribution and appear in both written and spoken formal and informal discourse.

Aug 4, 2026

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