Whatever the specific circumstances, …: A Construction Grammar perspective of wh-ever clauses in English

Abstract

This chapter describes and analyzes a subtype of concessive conditional clauses, wh-ever clauses, within the framework of Construction Grammar. Wh-ever clauses are discussed as constructions with multiple variable slots: a wh-ever connective lexeme, an adjective or noun phrase, and a variable verb slot. The main focus of the analysis is on the variation of the verb form: finite verb forms, deontic modals, and verb ellipses occur with varying frequency depending on the wh-ever connective. In particular, the potential for structural reduction in the use of the verbless form is discussed in the context of Construction Grammar. The examination of wh-ever clauses shows that in addition to these structural characteristics of the verb phrase, the pragmatic scope of wh-ever clauses can be observed to extend to the discourse level. It is argued that wh-ever clause constructions can be described at different levels of specificity within a constructional hierarchy: frequency analyses suggest constructions both at a schematic level - with multiple variable slots - and at a more specific level - with fixed lexical elements.