Linguipedia: New page: {{Incomplete|Definition}} :::* ''"Here we will use ''focus of a sentence'' to mean "the information in the sentence that is assumed by the speaker not to be shared by him and the hearer"....

2007-07-11T17:57:01Z

New page: {{Incomplete|Definition}} :::* ''"Here we will use ''focus of a sentence'' to mean "the information in the sentence that is assumed by the speaker not to be shared by him and the hearer"....

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{{Incomplete|Definition}}

:::* ''"Here we will use ''focus of a sentence'' to mean "the information in the sentence that is assumed by the speaker not to be shared by him and the hearer"."'' (Jackendoff 1972: 16)
:::*''"Within the framework developed here, the focus of a sentence, or, more precisely, the focus of a proposition expressed by a sentence in a given utterance context, is seen as the element of information whereby the presupposition and the assertion DIFFER from each other. The focus is that portion of a proposition which cannot be taken for granted at the time of speech. It is the UNPREDICTABLE or pragmatically NON-RECOVERABLE element in an utterance. The focus is what makes an utterance into an assertion."'' (Lambrecht 1994:207)
===Subtypes===
Two major taxonomies of focus are according to scope and according to the communicative point.
<br>The classification of focus according to '''scope''' includes the following types:

* [[argument focus]], [[narrow focus]]
In cases of argument focus any constituent of a clause, be it subject, object or oblique can be focused. Some authors (e.g. Van Valin and LaPolla 1997) have in their taxonomies [[narrow focus]] instead to allow to include verb focus into this taxonomy. The parts of the example sentences in capitals illustrates the narrow focus.
:Question: ''WHERE did you go yesterday?''
:Answer: ''We went TO THE THEATRE.''

* [[predicate focus]]
In case of predicate focus the whole predicate is in focus. This type is claimed to be a universally unmarked type of focus correlating with the topic-comment structure as the unmarked pragmatic articulation (Lambrecht 1994: 296).
:Question: ''What has happened to your wife?''
:Answer: ''She HAS GOT A HEADACHE.''

* [[sentence focus]]
In cases of sentence focus the entire clause is in focus. This type of sentences is also known as [[thetic]] sentences or all-focus sentences.
:Question: ''What has happened?''
:Answer: ''MY WHIFE HAS GOT A HEADACHE.''

The classification of focus according to the '''communicative point''' includes the following types:
* [[contrastive focus]], [[identificational focus]]
* [[completive focus]]
* [[information focus]]

===Polysemy===
''Focus'' is also used in Austronesian languages to refer to a verb-coded system of assigning prominence to arguments; see [[focus (Austronesian)]].

===Synonyms===
* [[rheme]] (in the Prague School tradition)
* [[emphasis (in information structure)]]

===Origin===
The term ''focus'' has been in general use only since c. 1970; it seems that Halliday (1967) and Jackendoff (1972) were particularly influential in spreading the term.

===References===
*Halliday, M.A.K. 1967/8. "Notes in transitivity and theme in English": Parts 1, 2 & 3, Journal of Linguistics 3.1, 3.2, 4.2.
*Jackendoff, Ray. 1972. ''Semantic interpretation in generative grammar.'' Cambridge, MA: MIT Press.
*Lambrecht, Knud. 1994. ''Information structure and sentence form.'' Cambridge: Cambridge University Press.
*Van Valin, Robert D., Jr. and Randy J. LaPolla. 1997. Syntax: structure, meaning and function. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press.

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[[Category:Information structure]]

Focus (information structure) - Revision history

Linguipedia: New page: {{Incomplete|Definition}} :::* ''"Here we will use ''focus of a sentence'' to mean "the information in the sentence that is assumed by the speaker not to be shared by him and the hearer"....