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Some English grammar structures are unlikely to be described in language coursebooks
THE NATURE OF “EXOTIC” STRUCTURES
English has plenty of grammar structures that are so uncommon in language coursebooks that they could be called “exotic”. Some are of this kind because they have not been clearly identified by grammarians. Many others are just omitted because they are rare: there is usually insufficient space to cover the whole of English grammar, and the more common structures are preferred in the belief that they maximise learners’ chances of success in communication.
However, structures that are not common in language-learning coursebooks can still be useful to know, especially for English users with a more advanced competence, who are the target audience of this blog. It is in this belief that posts like the present one are offered. Six exotic structures are described below. To access the other posts, see 88. Exotic Grammar Structures 1.
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STRUCTURE LIST
1. “Not that”
EXAMPLES
(a) Working from home is becoming more widespread, not that people are working less.
(b) Higher alcohol taxes are coming, not that they will reduce drinking.
Not that combines the message “but this does not entail that” with either reassurance, as in (a), or scepticism, as in (b). The denied idea after it is a conclusion that the speaker expects many people would reach.
Because not that needs at least two separate verbs in its sentence (underlined above), it is a conjunction. Superficially, it resembles the large number of other “multi-word” conjunctions that end with that, such as seeing that, now that and on condition that (see 230. Multi-Word Conjunctions, #1). However, there is an important difference.
One aspect of the difference is the inability of not that to go before its associated verbs as well as between them. Most other …that conjunctions certainly do not have this restriction. For example, if not in (a) is replaced by provided, it and the words after it could easily occupy the start of the sentence.
One or other of these contrasting position rules actually applies to every conjunction, so that two clear subgroups can be identified (see 174. Eight Things to Know about Conjunctions, #3). Conjunctions like provided that are technically called “subordinating”, those like not that “coordinating”.
These names reflect a further difference between the two types. Whereas subordinating conjunctions introduce information that is not the central message of their sentence, coordinating ones, including not that, introduce information that has equal centrality with the information before them. Reflecting this, a coordinating conjunction and the information after it can in less formal contexts be separated from the information before it by a full stop instead of a comma. This means not that can start a sentence in the same informal way as and, so or but (see 25. Conjunction Positioning).
The meaning of not that results in some fairly predictable wording after it. Common examples are …this should cause concern, …anyone cares, …much changed, …it makes any difference and …it did any good.
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2. “Never” + Infinitive
EXAMPLE
(c) Magellan sailed to the Pacific, never to return.
A to verb (infinitive) after words that could stand alone as a complete sentence names either a purpose or a subsequent event (usually a past one but sometimes future). Logical possibility will often indicate when an infinitive in this position has the latter meaning, and the presence of a preceding comma is usually a clue as well (see 246. Tricky Grammar Contrasts 2, #5).
Never before an infinitive in this position is also associated with the non-purpose use, helping to name the non-occurrence rather than occurrence of a later event. It seems usually to be preferred to not.
However, this is not the only use of never to. It can also go straight after was or were, without an intervening comma: Magellan was never to return. Here, the meaning is more like “future in the past”, naming the destiny of the verb’s subject (Magellan). In this case, not and never seem more equally possible, the latter being more emphatic. Destiny-naming is also possible with positive infinitives: for details, see 119. BE before a “to” Verb, #8.
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3. Superlative Adjective + Adjective / Adverb
EXAMPLE
(d) Air travel is the fastest type available.
In this example, the superlative adjective the fastest is part of an adjective phrase with the subsequent defining adjective available A previous post within this blog (194. Adverbs that Say How Much) lists particular preceding adverbs that can make superlative adjectives into a longer phrase, but does not say much about what can be added after.
The main phrase-making words possible before the + superlative adjective are, in roughly ascending order of strength, just about, fractionally, marginally, much, easily, very much, by far, far and away and quite. There is also maximum-strength the very (without a following the).
The main words usable after the + superlative adjective are available, by far, conceivable, ever, imaginable, possible, so far, up to a point and yet. A notable absentee is far and away (see 292. Synonym Pairs with Contrasting Grammar 2, #6). When the superlative’s partner noun follows it, like type in (d), by far, so far, up to a point and yet go last, but the others can precede the noun.
Only by far and up to a point are “degree” adverbs. Ever, so far and yet are time adverbs (for details of ever, see 272. Uses of “Ever”, #3); the others (underlined) are adjectives – all of the -able/-ible kind.
For some other kinds of partner word with superlatives, see 305. Wording next to Superlatives.
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4. Superlative Adjective + Infinitive
EXAMPLE
(e) Jones is the latest (writer) to accept the theory.
Grammar books that mention this use of to (infinitive) verbs point out that it corresponds to a relative clause– who accepts the theory above. What is not always made clear, however, is that some infinitives after a superlative lack this correspondence. The key factor is the kind of superlative adjective used.
Some adjectives in their non-superlative form also allow a following infinitive (see 83. Adjectives before a “to” Verb). Happy is one – happy to accept could easily fit into (e) – but late (meaning “recent”) is not. However, when a non-superlative has a following infinitive, there is rarely any correspondence to a relative clause (*Jones is happy who accepts…).
Infinitives after a superlative adjective correspond to a relative clause only when the adjective is the kind that, like latest, cannot usually precede an infinitive in their base form. Infinitives after other superlative adjectives, such as happiest, are as unable to be paraphrased as relative clauses as infinitives after these adjectives’ base forms. Other superlatives like latest include earliest, most famous, oldest and youngest. The superlative-like adjectives first and next are used similarly.
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5. Repeated Nouns Separated by “after”
EXAMPLE
(f) Caller after caller made the same request.
This combination is an alternative to saying one (noun) after another. It is similar in meaning to every placed before one of the two nouns. It thus highlights an absence of exceptions. The main difference is an implication concerning the number of instances being referred to. Every is neutral about the size of this number: it can refer to any quantity down to a minimum of three (see 169. “All”, “Each” and “Every”). The after combination, by contrast, always implies a large number, and is more emphatic as a result.
The involvement of two nouns with after suggests that the combination is typically found in noun positions in sentences (subject, object etc.). However, although use in these positions is indeed common, use in adverb positions is notable too. Like other noun expressions usable in adverb positions without a preceding preposition, such as this week, the day before yesterday, a month ago and three days a week, adverbial after expressions are time-referring. Like the last of the examples, they refer not to a point in time (= when) but to a frequency (= how often). For more on these meaning types, see 227. Time Adverbs.
Common examples of adverbial after phrases are hour after hour, day after day, time after time and term after term.
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6. “About” + Infinitive
EXAMPLE
(g) Electric cars are about to become common.
In this combination, typically located in the “complement” position after a link verb like BE, about indicates imminence of a future action, and the following infinitive (to verb) identifies the action. The use is similar to that of going to (see 176. Ways of Using GO, #7), but expresses greater imminence.
The combination is often mentioned in English coursebooks, but not all point out that the imminence of the event does not guarantee its actual occurrence: in many cases, especially in historical description, the point is non-occurrence:
(h) Alexander was about to make Babylon his capital, when he died.
This means the ambition of Alexander was frustrated at the last minute. The cause of the non-occurrence is indicated in a very typical way: with when (meaning “and then”), often after a comma. For more on this kind of when, see 271. Tricky Grammar Contrasts 3, #4.
An even more imminent occurrence can be expressed by adding just before about. Alternatively, about to can be replaced by on the + brink / point / verge + of -ing, or by close to -ing. For more ways of describing the future, see 147. Types of Future Meaning.
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7. Special Verb Form after Adjective + “that”
EXAMPLE
(i) Motorists are insistent that parking remain free.
In this sentence, the verb remain is in the present simple tense after the singular subject parking, but lacks the expected -s ending. The reason is that the verb form is a special type known as the “subjunctive”, which never has an ending (BE subjunctives being just be). “Subjunctive” is one of three verb form types that grammarians say can be the only verb in an English sentence, the others being the familiar ordinary type (“indicative”) and the “imperative” (see 128. Imperative Verbs in Formal Writing).
What makes the subjunctive possible in (i) is the naming of a desired future after a speech-indicating word (here insistent) + that…. Such futures may never occur, and uncertain occurrence is the typical meaning of the subjunctive form. Other adjectives usable like insistent include adamant, concerned, desirous, desperate, determined, eager and keen (see 300. Adjective Indicators of Indirect Speech, #1).
Using that… after these adjectives expands them into a longer adjective phrase (see 203. Expanding an Adjective with Words after it). Usually, this is also possible without that, and hence without a subjunctive. For example, desirous is often expanded by of (e.g. desirous of reform). A common reason for preferring that is a following verb whose subject is different from that of the main verb – cp. motorists and parking in (i).
Subjunctive verbs are quite an “exotic” form in English because they are not just rare, but mostly optional. This is the case in (i), where remains would also be correct. For some other subjunctive uses, see 88. Exotic Grammar Structures 1, #6.
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