WHSC YAML source
code: WHSC
biber_number: H23
xiao_number: I85
mfte_code:
- WHSC
- WHSCother
name: WH subordinate clauses
definition: >-
Subordinate clauses introduced by a WH-word (e.g., "I know where he went", "whoever
comes").
normalization: finite_verbs
detection:
- requires:
- word
- pos
cql: '[pos="WRB|WP|WDT" & word!="that"]'
description: WH subordinate clauses (WH-word, not 'that').
- source: mfte
requires:
- word
- pos
cql: "[pos=\"WRB|WP|WP\\$|WDT\" & word!=\"that\"]"
combine: "_ & !WHQU"
description: >-
MFTE tags WH-words as WHSC (line 767) AFTER WHQU has already consumed
WH-question tokens. So WHSC = all WH-words minus those in questions.
- source: pybiber
requires:
- word
- pos
- upos
cql: '[upos="VERB"] [pos="W.*" & word!="which"]'
combine: "_ & -WHREL_SUBJ & -WHREL_OBJ"
description: >-
WH clause: WH-word (tag starts with W, not "which") immediately
following a verb (coarse POS = VERB, not AUX). pybiber subtracts
WH relative counts (f_31 + f_32) from this total to avoid
double-counting.
examples:
- text: I'm thinking of someone _who_ is not here today.
source: le_foll_2024
- text: Do you know _whether the banks are open_?
source: le_foll_2024
sources:
- biber_1988
- mfte
- pybiber
- xiao_2009
notes: >-
Biber also counted WH relative clauses on subject (.45) and object (.63) positions
separately for D3.