code: WHIZBN
biber_number: H27
xiao_number: J90
name: Past participial WHIZ deletions
definition: >-
Reduced relative clauses with deleted "which/who + be" before a past participle.
normalization: finite_verbs
parent: VBN
detection:
- requires:
- pos
- dep
semgrex: '{pos:VBN}=part <acl {pos:/NN.*/}=noun'
description: >-
Past participle as adjectival clause modifier of a noun. Distinguishes
WHIZ deletion from free participial clause (which modifies a verb/clause).
- source: pybiber
requires:
- pos
- upos
- dep
cql: '[upos="NOUN"] [pos="VBN" & dep="acl"]'
description: >-
VBN with dep acl immediately following a noun (coarse POS). pybiber
uses adjacency rather than dependency head — the noun must be the
token directly before the participle.
sources:
- biber_1988
- pybiber
- xiao_2009
notes: >-
D5 loading .40. Reduced relatives are more informationally dense than full
relatives — contributes to abstract style.
examples:
- text: the man _killed_
note: i.e., "the man [who was] killed"
- text: the book _written_ by Tolkien
note: i.e., "the book [that was] written by Tolkien"