Enough et too : expression de la suffisance et de l’excès dans les constructions « tough » en anglais

In English, the structures known as “tough” constructions (The decision was easy to make), enable the speaker to predicate a property of the subject, interpreted as co-referent of the internal argument of the infinitival verb. Therefore, some kind of evaluation has to be present. In “classical” exam...

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Main Author: Joasha Boutault
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: Cercle linguistique du Centre et de l'Ouest - CerLICO 2014-06-01
Series:Corela
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Online Access:https://journals.openedition.org/corela/3461
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author Joasha Boutault
author_facet Joasha Boutault
author_sort Joasha Boutault
collection DOAJ
description In English, the structures known as “tough” constructions (The decision was easy to make), enable the speaker to predicate a property of the subject, interpreted as co-referent of the internal argument of the infinitival verb. Therefore, some kind of evaluation has to be present. In “classical” examples such as they will be difficult to convince, the adjectives play this role : difficult is evaluative in itself. When the adjective is descriptive, as in this area is too spread out to defend, the presence of too or enough is compulsory. In those cases, the adverb is what provides the necessary evaluation. Through the study of authentic examples, this article shows how too and enough contribute to the evaluative interpretation of “tough” constructions. When they are used in such structures, these adverbs respectively prevent and enable the realisation of the event denoted by the infinitival verb. The point of view of the speaker on the possibility for the predicative relation to be validated is thus expressed.
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institution Kabale University
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publisher Cercle linguistique du Centre et de l'Ouest - CerLICO
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spelling doaj-art-c9cbadeb358247faab718788f1bbee212024-12-09T15:06:56ZengCercle linguistique du Centre et de l'Ouest - CerLICOCorela1638-573X2014-06-0112110.4000/corela.3461Enough et too : expression de la suffisance et de l’excès dans les constructions « tough » en anglaisJoasha BoutaultIn English, the structures known as “tough” constructions (The decision was easy to make), enable the speaker to predicate a property of the subject, interpreted as co-referent of the internal argument of the infinitival verb. Therefore, some kind of evaluation has to be present. In “classical” examples such as they will be difficult to convince, the adjectives play this role : difficult is evaluative in itself. When the adjective is descriptive, as in this area is too spread out to defend, the presence of too or enough is compulsory. In those cases, the adverb is what provides the necessary evaluation. Through the study of authentic examples, this article shows how too and enough contribute to the evaluative interpretation of “tough” constructions. When they are used in such structures, these adverbs respectively prevent and enable the realisation of the event denoted by the infinitival verb. The point of view of the speaker on the possibility for the predicative relation to be validated is thus expressed.https://journals.openedition.org/corela/3461modalityevaluationmodificationvalidationboundary
spellingShingle Joasha Boutault
Enough et too : expression de la suffisance et de l’excès dans les constructions « tough » en anglais
Corela
modality
evaluation
modification
validation
boundary
title Enough et too : expression de la suffisance et de l’excès dans les constructions « tough » en anglais
title_full Enough et too : expression de la suffisance et de l’excès dans les constructions « tough » en anglais
title_fullStr Enough et too : expression de la suffisance et de l’excès dans les constructions « tough » en anglais
title_full_unstemmed Enough et too : expression de la suffisance et de l’excès dans les constructions « tough » en anglais
title_short Enough et too : expression de la suffisance et de l’excès dans les constructions « tough » en anglais
title_sort enough et too expression de la suffisance et de l exces dans les constructions tough en anglais
topic modality
evaluation
modification
validation
boundary
url https://journals.openedition.org/corela/3461
work_keys_str_mv AT joashaboutault enoughettooexpressiondelasuffisanceetdelexcesdanslesconstructionstoughenanglais