The Semantics and Syntax of Prepositional Constructions with the Lexical Verb Go in Written and Spoken Discourse

Abstract

A prepositional construction consists of a lexical verb followed by a preposition with which it is semantically and/ or syntactically linked. The main focus of this analysis is the lexical verb go occurring within prepositional constructions. The aim of this paper is to present the frequency and distribution of prepositional verbs in written and spoken discourse. We will also determine all prepositional constructions with the lexical verb go, and present their practical use and distribution in different registers. Given that when distinguishing prepositional verbs, the semantic criteria of idiomaticity must be supplemented by syntactic criteria, we will also show all possible meanings of each prepositional construction found in the analyzed material, and determine the type of transitivity of each meaning. Furthermore, we will compare the distribution and syntactic features of each prepositional construction with the lexical verb go in different registers, and show similarities, disimilarities and all characteristics of their practical use in written and spoken discourse.