|
part of the
18
be able to
19
the rest of
20
the first time
11
I thought it was
12
I don’t want to
13
you know I mean
14
that sort of thing
15
I don’t know how
16
if you want to
17
well I don’t know
18
I was going to
19
have a look at
20
you don’t have to
11
per cent of the
12
one of the most
13
the side of the
14
the edge of the
15
the middle of the
16
in front of the
17
I don’t want to
18
for a long time
19
is one of the
20
on the other hand
8
this that and the other
9
I know what you mean
10
all the rest of it
11
and all that sort of
12
I was going to say
13
and all the rest of
14
and that sort of thing
15
I don’t know what it
16
all that sort of thing
17
do you want to go
Five-word clusters in written texts
1
at the end of the
2
by the end of the
3
for the first time in
4
at the top of the
5
at the back of the
6
on the other side of
7
in the centre of the
8
the end of the day
9
for the rest of the
10
the middle of the night
Although there are four- and five-word clusters, and even six-word clusters
(do you know what I mean, from the point of view of ), the most frequent clusters
consist of two and three words. It is also clear that there is often a relationship
between shorter and longer clusters as the longer cluster can be an extension of
the shorter cluster. The figures below show the total number of occurrences for
each size of cluster, up to six words in length, occurring 20 or more times in a
spoken and written corpus of five million words each.
Distribution of clusters occurring 20 or more times in spoken texts
25000
20000
15000
10000
5000
0
2-word
3-word
4-word
5-word
6-word
Distribution of clusters occurring 20 or more times in written texts
25000
20000
15000
10000
5000
0
2-word
3-word
4-word
5-word
6-word
Û
539 Glossary for any unfamiliar terms
Appendix: Word clusters and grammar | 831
18
to be honest with you
19
an hour and a half
20
it’s a bit of a
11
the other end of the
12
at the bottom of the
13
the rest of the world
14
for the first time since
15
had nothing to do with
16
at the foot of the
17
in and out of the
18
in the direction of the
19
is one of the most
20
the end of the year
occurr
ences
occurr
ences
21054
13514
2819
262
18
23961
9499
1328
227
13
COMMON TYPES OF CLUSTER
504
Preposition + article
504a
The most frequent two-word clusters are prepositions followed by articles, such as
at the
, in the, of the, on the, of a, with a. These are particularly frequent in written
texts:
He studied
at the Royal Academy of Dramatic Art, London.
My father’s birthday is
on the fifth.
It can be danced either solo,
with a partner, or in a group.
Some three-word prepositional patterns with articles are also very frequent,
especially on to the and out of the:
Screw the top tight
on to the bottle.
We were never allowed
out of the school.
Û
250–257 Prepositions and prepositional phrases
Subject + verb
504b
Various combinations of pronoun subjects and verbs appear among the most
frequent clusters. These are particularly common in spoken texts. They include
subject + lexical verb patterns (you know, I think, I mean), subjects with be
(which may occur as an auxiliary verb or a copular verb, e.g. it was, I was) and
subjects with other auxiliary verbs and modal verbs (e.g. I don’t, you can).
Interrogative do you is also very frequent in spoken texts:
I was working so desperately hard.
You can carry on if you want.
Do you want a chocolate?
Three-word subject and verb clusters include negatives, and interrogatives with do
and what:
I don’t know what time it starts.
You have to choose.
Do you think things are different now?
Û
424–433 Questions; 377–407 Modality
I don’t know
I don’t think
it would be
you have to
you want to
do you know
do you think
do you want
what do you
832 | Appendix: Word clusters and grammar
Cambridge Grammar of English
Subject + verb with complement items
504c
The three-, four- and five-word clusters in the spoken texts also show frequent
occurrences of subject–verb patterns followed by the beginning of a complement
structure (such words as what, how, if, whether). These include:
You know what it’s like when you’ve got a family.
You don’t have to pay if you’re a student.
If it was my kid,
I don’t know what I’d do.
Û
304–318 Clause combination
Noun phrase + of
504d
A number of high-frequency three-, four- and five-word clusters centre round a
noun phrase + of, where of is the first element of the complement. In the longer
clusters, a further element of the complement (typically the) occurs. A number of
these noun phrases function as the complements of prepositions.
Especially in the written texts, this type is dominated by expressions which
often denote a metaphorical location and time:
You’ll have
a lot of fun with it.
She gathered up
the rest of the plates, turned and walked towards Claudette.
She stood silent
in the middle of the room, looking at him intently.
Jake stood
at the top of the stairs and turned round.
Û
167–175 The noun phrase
A–Z
55 Of
Other types
504e
Other, less frequent, types of cluster occur. These include:
● Verb infinitives (with and without to), e.g. to be (a), be able to:
I used
to be a bus driver.
We should
be able to say what we want, shouldn’t we?
a bit of
a couple of
a lot of
part of the
the end of (the)
the rest of (the)
the side of the
at the end of
at the top of
in front of the
in the middle of (the)
the back of the
at the bottom of the
at the foot of the
at the top of the
by the end of the
in the direction of the
on the other side of
I mean I
you know what
you don’t have to
I don’t know if
I don’t know what
I don’t know whether
do you know what I
do you want me to
Û
539 Glossary for any unfamiliar terms
Appendix: Word clusters and grammar | 833
● Conjunction + noun-phrase element, adverb or subject + verb, e.g. and I, and
the, if you, and then, but I mean, and it was
:
If you play well and you lose, it’s tough.
It’s not the most wonderful area,
but I mean it was okay.
Û
304–318 Clause combination
● Grammatically complete prepositional expressions, especially those of time;
these occur with particularly high frequency in the written texts, and include:
For the first time she tried to imagine herself in that situation.
After the meal, she sat
for a long time at the window.
On the other hand, nothing was impossible.
Û
250–257 Prepositions and prepositional phrases
FUNCTIONS OF CLUSTERS
505
Relations of time and place
505a
Some of the most frequent clusters, especially in the written texts, express
relations of time and place, particularly through prepositional expressions:
I’ll see you
in the morning.
There was nobody
on the beaches.
She sat on
the edge of the bed, dialled the number for the Police Department …
He was waiting at
the bottom of the stairs.
In the middle of the night a noise woke Henry.
Û
242–249 Adverbs and adverb phrases; 319–337 Adjuncts
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