Cambridge Grammar of English Hardback with cd-rom a comprehensive Guide

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541 Index for individual terms not in the Glossary

Glossary | 927

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Tone unit Refers to the minimal unit of communication with at least one

intonation contour that ends in a rising or falling tone. Tone units typically

appear as clauses, but they can also be phrases or single words:

ME? 

ANYway.

I’m 

LOOking for a PENcil.

ARE’nt you REAdy?

Topic Refers to the main subject matter a speaker or writer wants to talk about.

The topic is most typically associated with the grammatical subject. 

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Comment

Transitive complementation, transitive oblique Transitive complementation

refers to the type of complementation a transitive verb requires to complete its

meaning. This can be single complementation or dual complementation:

I 

spotted a taxi.

(single complementation: the speaker must say what they spotted)

He 

put it in the rubbish bin.

(dual complementation: the speaker must say what was put and where it was put)

Transitive oblique refers to a type of ditransitive complementation (direct

object + prepositional complement with to) in which the recipient of the direct

object is obliquely put into focus. Transitive verbs associated with this usage are

bring, give, grant, hand, leave, send, owe, 

etc.: