Sunday 5 July 2020

The Fusion Of A Nominal Substitute With Modifier

Halliday & Matthiessen (2014: 641):
In some instances the nominal substitute fuses with a Modifier, as in yours, none in the following:
I haven’t finished the crocodile story completely. And then we’ll hear yours [your story], okay? 
But he won’t get any benefit for his early plea of guilty or contrition. – No absolutely none [no benefit].
These can be analysed as elliptical, the elements my, your, no, etc. having a special form when functioning as Head.