BEMA YAML source

code: BEMA
biber_number: G19
xiao_number: B23
mfte_code: BEMA
bohmann_number: 156
name: BE as main verb
definition: >-
  "Be" used as the main verb (copular), not as auxiliary (e.g., "he was tired",
  "they are hobbits").
normalization: finite_verbs
detection:
- requires:
  - lemma
  - pos
  - dep
  semgrex: '{lemma:be; pos:/VB.*/; dep:/(?!aux|auxpass).*/}=be'
  description: BE as main verb (copular) — dep is not aux or auxpass.
- source: pybiber
  requires:
  - lemma
  - pos
  - dep
  cql: '[lemma="be" & dep!="aux|auxpass"]'
  description: BE lemma with dep not containing aux (pybiber approach).
- source: mfte
  requires:
  - lemma
  - pos
  - dep
  semgrex: '{lemma:be; pos:/VB.*/; dep:/(?!aux|auxpass).*/}=be'
  combine: "_ & !_EXTHERE"
  refines: VB|VBN
  description: >-
    BE as main verb, excluding auxiliary (via dep parse) and existential
    "there" + BE (MFTE checks words[j-1] and words[j-2] for _EX tag).
    Existential exclusion handled via _EXTHERE helper. MFTE appends BEMA
    tag (creating e.g. _VBN BEMA), which counts separately from bare _VBN.
    Refines VB and VBN so BEMA-tagged tokens are excluded from residual
    counts. VBD/VBG/VBP/VBZ not refined: MFTE's VBD/VBG/VBP/VBZ counts
    use tag frequency including BEMA-appended forms.
examples:
- text: He _was_ a hobbit.
- text: The walls _were_ thick and the ceiling _was_ low.
- text: It _was_ nice to just _be_ at home.
  source: le_foll_2024
- text: She_'s_ irreplaceable.
  source: le_foll_2024
- text: How _was_ your mum on Sunday?
  source: le_foll_2024
non_examples:
- text: She was walking through the forest.
  note: was is progressive auxiliary, not main verb
- text: The letter was written yesterday.
  note: was is passive auxiliary, not main verb
sources:
- biber_1988
- mfte
- pybiber
- xiao_2009
- bohmann_2019