Wednesday 20 September 2017

Not: Finite Or Modal Adjunct?

Halliday & Matthiessen (2014: 175):
… the negative word not occurs in two functions: either it is simply a formal or written variant of the Finite negative element n’t, in which case it is part of the Finite; or it is a distinct modal Adjunct in Mood or Residue. In the latter case it is phonologically salient and may also be tonic …