Specificational there-clefts
Kristin Davidse, Ditte Kimps · English Text Construction · 2016
In this article we present functional-structural and information structure arguments for recognizing specificationalthere-clefts, i.e. clefts that specify a value for a variable. We distinguish two types which hinge on whether the matrix is a listing or a canonical existential. Listingthere-clefts enumerate one or more instances as corresponding to the variable, e.g.You are quite right David, it was engineered, seems there’s only me and you who can see this.Quantifyingthere-clefts indicate the quantity of instantiation of the variable, e.g.Look at the shape of it. There’s only one thing that’s that shape.