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From: rte@elmo.lz.att.com (Ralph T. Edwards)
Subject: Re: "There is" (was: "A is B" - which is subject?)
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References: <3pjg37$c71$1@mhafc.production.compuserve.com> <1995May29.184307.11341@rzu-news.unizh.ch> <smryanD9EK6L.pD@netcom.com> <rte-3105951645230001@mac-118.lz.att.com> <3qio31$2us@ruccs.rutgers.edu>
Date: Thu, 1 Jun 1995 15:18:33 GMT
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In article <3qio31$2us@ruccs.rutgers.edu>, jirifkin@ruccs.rutgers.edu (Jay
Rifkin) wrote:

 
> I wonder, though, whether people can really say,
> "There _is_ three reasons."  I haven't heard this, but I have heard
> "There's three reasons."  In this case, there's a third possibility, 
> namely that the 's clitic (or whatever it is) is gaining increased scope,
> so that it can be used in some plural contexts.  And this could just be
> a lexical change (possibly motivated by phonology), rather than a syntactic
> one.
> 

I don't remember whether it is "'s" or "is" that I hear, I thought both.  I'll
take notes the next few times I hear it.

-- 
R.T.Edwards rte@elmo.att.com 908 576-3031
