A Corpus-Based Study of Non-finite (Infinitive) Complementation in Chaucerian English

Description: Examines semantic and syntactic features of infinitive clauses used as nominals in GP and NPT. Makes several diachronic observations: in this stage of the development of English, to was becoming the standard infinitive marker, although there were others (e.g., for to); passive constructions were relatively rare; there was an increase in infinitive complement clauses in cantenative constructions following matrix verbs; there was an increase of periphrases to indicate aspect (with gan, bigan, etc.); and there was a fixing of word order.

Chaucer Subjects: Language and Word Studies.; General Prologue to the Canterbury Tales.; Nun's Priest and His Tale.