If I Had 'Have' Been… on the Web

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Published: Dec 1, 2012
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1515/lincu-2015-0001
Keywords:
plupluperfect corpus linguistics web language nonstandard forms spoken vs. written English

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Nadina Cehan
Babeș-Bolyai University of Cluj, Romania
Anca Cehan
Alexandru Ioan Cuza University of Iasi, RO

Abstract

The paper looks at the nonstandard, so called ‘plupluperfect’, construction If [Subject] had have [past particple]. Based on inquiries in WebCorp and the BNC and COCA, the paper shows the relative incidence of this construction in the available corpora. The investigation concludes that the construction is more likely to be found in Internet texts and communications. This prompts a brief discussion on the general nature of Internet language and its main characteristics. Moreover, taking into consideration the morpho-syntactic make-up of the construction, certain theories about its occurrence are presented. It is also noted that the construction is by no means new, having been attested centuries ago. Thus, the paper tries to tie in history with present-day trends in language and linguistics.

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How to Cite
Cehan, N., and A. Cehan. “If I Had ’Have’ Been… on the Web”. Linguaculture, vol. 3, no. 2, Dec. 2012, pp. 57-70, doi:10.1515/lincu-2015-0001.
Issue
Vol. 3 No. 2 (2012)
Section
Articles
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This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 4.0 International License.

Author Biographies

Nadina Cehan, Babeș-Bolyai University of Cluj, Romania

Nadina Cehan is a PhD student in English Linguistics at “Babeş-Bolyai” University of Cluj.

Anca Cehan, Alexandru Ioan Cuza University of Iasi, RO

Anca Cehan, professor of English language and linguistics at Alexandru Ioan Cuza University of Iasi, has been a member and coordinator of many research and mobility projects. She published a number of university coursebooks and guides. Her research activity focuses mainly on English language (Morphology) and the methodology of teaching English as a foreign language, including the manner in
which various aspects of norm are integrated in textbooks and class routine (“On Coherence and the Metalinguistic Function of Conversational Routines,” “I’m lovin’ it”, “Thank you: an analysis of the thanking strategies taught in the English classrooms in Romania”.

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