20 A Grammar of Spoken English Discourse
2.2.3 Suspensions and extensions
Brazil recognized that the chaining rules mapped out in Figure 2.1 are
incapable of explaining a vast amount of naturally occurring speech.
Accordingly, he introduced two formal devices, suspensions and extensions,
which allow the grammar to explain used language which does not comply
with the simple chaining rules.
2.2.3.1 Suspensions
It is obvious that not every utterance of used speech necessarily commences
with an N element, e.g.
(15) I go to the pub every Sunday after church.
(16) Every Sunday after church I go to the pub.Only (15) conforms to the order of Brazil’s simple chaining rules. In (16),
only after two A elements does the speaker produce the obligatory N ele-
ment. Brazil (pp. 62–7) labels such cases suspensions and states (p. 64) that
the distinguishing features of suspensions are that:
1 After any inserted element(s), the State reverts to that which existed
immediately before it (them), so subsequent procedures are then
fully specifi ed by the rules, as if there had been no interruption.
2 The operation of the rules depends upon the end-point of the
suspending insertion being determinable: it is necessary for users to
know at what point they get back to fulfi lling previously-entered-into
commitments.
Initial State N V(Target State)
V N(Target State)
N A(Target State)
E(Target State)
E
A(Target
State)Figure 2.1 Adapted from Brazil (1995: 51)