The Discourse Function of Inversion in English

A study of discourse-functional constraints on the use of a marked syntactic construction. Argues that inversion in clauses serves an information-packaging function, linking familiar and unfamiliar information in the discourse. Demonstrates a correlation between a well-defined type of giveness and constituent position within a particular syntactic construction and sheds light on the relationship between information status and word order. Of interest to researchers in syntax and discours