recipient

Recipient is a semantic role; it refers to the receiver in a transfer of ownership or possession (I offered her a book), although the notion of transfer can have a broader meaning as well (He gave me a scornful look). In an active sentence, a constituent having the semantic role of recipient regularly functions as IO and takes the form of an NP (I told Ida a story about a polar bear) or a to-PrepP (I told the story to Ida). In a passive sentence, a constituent having the semantic role of recipient regularly functions as Subject: Ida was told a story. In this case, it is always an NP – a recipient realized as a PrepP cannot function as Subject. (AEG Ch. 2)

reference time (R), see moment of speech

referential agreement

There is referential agreement when the number (singular or plural) of the verb is determined by the referent of the Subject NP rather than by the morphological number of the Subject NP. Collective nouns often trigger referential agreement, although this is far more common in European varieties of English than in North American varieties: The staff work from 8 till 5; The committee were divided on the question. (AEG Ch. 3)

relative clause

A relative clause is a post-modifying clausal adjective that is usually part of an NP: I like the dress you’re wearing;The dress, which she'd bought years before, still fit her. Relative clauses can also be sentential, referring back to a clause: He’s not going to come, which is a huge relief. In this case, the relative clause is not part of an NP and does not have a post-modifying function. (AEG Ch. 1, Ch. 3)

relative clause with partitive meaning

A relative clause with partitive meaning is used to refer to one, several or all members of a set or to refer to a subpart or all of an amount. The relative pronoun which or whom refers to the set or amount. This type of relative clause is introduced by a quantifier or a numeral followed by the preposition of: both of which. . ., all of whom. . ., two of which. . ., some of whom. . . (AEG Ch. 3)

relative determiner

Whosecan be a relative determiner. Prescriptive approaches to grammar often stipulate that the antecedent must be human. In fact, its antecedent can be animate or inanimate: Have you ever known anyone whose life has been disrupted by serious disease?; What’s the title of that movie whose director was arrested last week? (AEG Ch. 3)

relative pronoun

Relative clauses are usually introduced by a relative pronoun (that, which, who, whom): the book that they wrote; the women who you're talking about. The form of the relative pronoun is determined by (i) the nature of the relative clause (restrictive or non-restrictive), (ii) the nature of the antecedent (animate or inanimate) and (iii) the syntactic function of the pronoun in the relative clause. The relative pronoun is often not expressed (it is a ‘zero’ relative pronoun) in restrictive relative clauses when its function is not that of Subject: the book they wrote, the women you're talking about. In non-restrictive relative clauses (the book, which I’ve already read. . .), and in restrictive relative clauses where the relative pronoun functions as Subject (the book which / that is on the table. . .), the relative pronoun is always expressed. (AEG Ch. 3)

repetitive perfect

The repetitive perfect refers to the use of a perfect tense that represents a number of sub-situations that lie before the reference time (R). Take for example the repetitive present perfect: the situation (itself made up of sub-situations) is located in the pre-present time-sphere and continues up to the moment of speech (S): Peter has been to Berlin a couple of times. Repetitive past perfects (Peter had been to Berlin a couple of times before that) or future perfects (Peter will have been to Berlin a couple of times by then) are possible as well. In these cases, however, the situations are not located in the pre-present time-sphere. They are anterior to Rs that do not coincide with the moment of speech. (AEG Ch. 4)

response, see yes-no interrogative clause

restrictive relative clause

A restrictive (or defining, or limiting) relative clause is a relative clause that narrows down the referent of the head noun in the sense that the addition of the modifier restricts the number of potential referents in the real world. In other words, a restrictive relative clause can answer the question which one? or which ones?: I’d like to speak to the manager who helped me last week. (AEG Ch. 3)

reverse polarity, see constant polarity

right stress, see compound

root modality, see non-epistemic modality