fixed: fixed multiword expression
The fixed relation is used for certain fixed grammaticized expressions that behave
like function words or short adverbials, and for which a unique head cannot be identified.
These are a subset of multiword expressions that are morphosyntactically “fixed”
in that they resist internal modification and inflection.
(Compare: flat for headless expressions not behaving like function words;
compound for headed expressions that morphosyntactically resemble single words;
and goeswith for words that contain improper spacing.)
Fixed expressions are annotated in a flat, head-initial structure, in which all words in the expression modify the first one using the
fixed label. The first word bears the ExtPos feature indicating the holistic category of the expression.
At present, this relation is used inside the following expressions, semantically grouped for convenience:
| Category | Expressions |
|---|---|
| Augmentative/substitutive/conjunctive | as well, as well as, rather than, instead of, let alone |
| Causal | because of, due to, how come, in order, so as to, so that, such that |
| Spatiotemporal | in between, prior to, on board |
| Circumstantial/conditional | in case (of), whether or not |
| Approximators | with a quantity: more than, less than, up to, as many/much/few/little as, all of |
| Attributional | according to |
| Exemplification | such as |
| Reciprocal Pronouns | each other, one another |
| Pragmatic/miscellaneous | all but, as for, as if, as opposed to, as to, at least (non-quantity), in that, kind/sort of (hedge), not to mention, of course, that is |
Below the description of fixed expressions are a few idiomatic combinations that are analyzed without fixed. These are summarized as follows:
Non-fixed Expressions |
|---|
| Double spatial prepositions: out of, off of, etc. |
| about to; as soon/long as; at all, at best/worst, by far; at most/least (with quantities); compared to/with; had better; nothing/anything but; so long; what about, what if |
fixed expressions
Augmentative/substitutive/conjunctive expressions
as well
I like dogs as/ADV[ExtPos=ADV] well/ADV
advmod(like, as)
fixed(as, well)
as well as
I like dogs as/ADV[ExtPos=CCONJ] well/ADV as/ADP cats
fixed(as-4, well)
fixed(as-4, as-6)
cc(cats, as-4)
conj(dogs, cats)
rather than
Typically analyzed as a coordinating conjunction:
I decided to get a dog rather/[ExtPos=CCONJ] than a cat
fixed(rather, than)
cc(cat, rather)
conj(dog, cat)
However, when fronted, it attaches as case or mark:
Rather/[ExtPos=ADP] than a cat , I decided to get a dog.
fixed(Rather, than)
case(cat, Rather)
obl(decided, cat)
instead of
Similar in meaning to rather than, but never analyzed as a coordinating conjunction, always case or mark:
John went instead/[ExtPos=ADP] of Mary
fixed(instead, of)
case(Mary, instead)
John left early instead/[ExtPos=SCONJ] of staying for the whole thing
fixed(instead, of)
mark(staying, instead)
let alone
He could n't handle being hurt , let/VERB[ExtPos=CCONJ] alone/ADJ hurt by you
fixed(let, alone)
cc(hurt-10, let)
conj(hurt-6, hurt-10)
Causal connectives
because of (and other forms, such as b c of and b/c of)
He cried because/ADP[ExtPos=ADP] of/ADP you
case(you, because)
fixed(because, of)
due to (and other forms, such as d t and d/t)
He cried due/ADJ[ExtPos=ADP] to/ADP the fact that you hurt him
case(fact, due)
fixed(due, to)
how come
How/[ExtPos=ADV] come John left early ?
fixed(How, come)
advmod(left, How)
in order
He cried in/[ExtPos=SCONJ] order to make you feel bad
mark(feel, in)
fixed(in, order)
He cried in/[ExtPos=SCONJ] order that you might feel bad
mark(feel, in)
fixed(in, order)
He cried in/[ExtPos=SCONJ] order for you to have something to feel bad about
mark(have, in)
fixed(in, order)
so as to
John left early so/[ExtPos=SCONJ] as to miss the meeting
fixed(so, as)
fixed(so, to)
mark(miss, so)
so that
He cried so/[ExtPos=SCONJ] that you would feel bad
mark(feel, so)
fixed(so, that)
such that
Let the rectangle KL be applied to DE such/[ExtPos=SCONJ] that KL equals BC
mark(equals, such)
fixed(such, that)
Spatiotemporal markers
in between
John left in/ADP[ExtPos=ADP] between/ADP meetings
fixed(in, between)
case(meetings, in)
prior to
John left prior/ADJ[ExtPos=ADP] to/ADP the meeting
fixed(prior, to)
case(meeting, prior)
on board
on/ADP[ExtPos=ADP] board/NOUN the ship
fixed(on, board)
case(ship, on)
Circumstantial/conditional connectives
in case
I always back up my files in/[ExtPos=SCONJ] case my computer crashes
fixed(in, case)
mark(crashes, in)
I always back up my files just in/[ExtPos=ADV] case
fixed(in, case)
advmod(back, in)
advmod(in, just)
in case of
I always back up my files in/[ExtPos=ADP] case of a crash
fixed(in, case)
fixed(in, of)
case(crash, in)
whether or not
He 's crying whether/[ExtPos=SCONJ] or not you feel bad about it
fixed(whether, or)
fixed(whether, not)
mark(feel, whether)
Approximators (quantity modifiers)
more than (when used synonymously with “over” in a quantity)
More/[ExtPos=ADV] than 90 percent
advmod(percent, More)
fixed(More, than)
less than (when used synonymously with “under” in a quantity)
Less/[ExtPos=ADV] than ten percent
advmod(percent, Less)
fixed(Less, than)
up to (when used in quantities)
Up/[ExtPos=ADV] to fifty percent
fixed(Up, to)
advmod(percent, Up)
as many/much/few/little as (when used in quantities)
As/[ExtPos=ADV] much as fifty percent
fixed(As, much)
fixed(As, as)
advmod(percent, As)
all of (when used in quantities)
All/[ExtPos=ADV] of ten minutes
fixed(All, of)
advmod(minutes, All)
Attributional markers
according to
According/[ExtPos=ADP] to John
fixed(According, to)
case(John, According)
Exemplification
such as
I like fluffy animals , such/[ExtPos=ADP] as dogs
case(dogs, such)
fixed(such, as)
Reciprocal Pronouns
The first word is marked as PronType=Rcp. See discussion at PRON.
each other
They saw each/DET[ExtPos=PRON] other/ADJ
fixed(each, other)
obj(saw, each)
one another
They saw one/PRON[ExtPos=PRON] another/DET
fixed(one, another)
obj(saw, one)
Pragmatic/miscellaneous markers
all but
John has all/DET[ExtPos=ADV] but/ADP left
fixed(all, but)
advmod(left, all)
as for
As/[ExtPos=ADP] for me , I love dogs!
fixed(As, for)
case(me, As)
obl(love, me)
as if
It was as/[ExtPos=SCONJ] if he cried to make you feel bad
fixed(as, if)
mark(cried, as)
as opposed to
John decided to leave early , as/[ExtPos=ADP] opposed to Mary
fixed(as, opposed)
fixed(as, to-9)
case(Mary, as)
as to
As/[ExtPos=SCONJ] to whether I love dogs ...
fixed(As, to)
mark(love, As)
As/[ExtPos=ADP] to my love of dogs ...
fixed(As, to)
case(love, As)
at least (when not used for quantities)
At/ADP[ExtPos=ADV] least/ADJ I like dogs
fixed(At, least)
advmod(like, At)
kind of, sort of (as a hedge)
I kind/[ExtPos=ADV] of like dogs
fixed(kind, of)
advmod(like, kind)
in that
I agree in/[ExtPos=SCONJ] that the food is tasty
fixed(in, that)
mark(tasty, in)
advcl(agree, tasty)
not to mention
This restaurant is pretty cheap with good food , not/[ExtPos=CCONJ] to mention their friendly staff
fixed(not, to)
fixed(not, mention)
cc(staff, not)
conj(food, staff)
of course
I like dogs , of/[ExtPos=ADV] course
advmod(like, of)
fixed(of, course)
that is
The dogs need to be housebroken -- that/[ExtPos=ADV] is , '' potty - trained ''
fixed(that, is)
advmod(trained, that)
Not fixed
The following are not annotated as fixed, but are instead labeled according to their apparent internal structure.
out of, off of (All double prepositions denoting spatial relations are annotated with two cases on the nominal)
Get out of there !
nmod(Get, there)
case(there, out)
case(there, of)
Get off of that !
nmod(Get, that)
case(that, off)
case(that, of)
by far
Dogs are the best animal by far
nmod(animal, far)
case(far, by)
what about
What about John ?
nmod(What, John)
case(John, about)
at all
I don't like her at all
nmod(like, all)
case(all, at)
at most, at least (when used for quantities. To determine whether at least should be an fixed or not in borderline cases, substitute it with at most; if the sentence remains grammatical, it should receive its surface analysis)
at most 50 percent
nmod(percent, most)
case(most, at)
at least 50 percent
nmod(percent, least)
case(least, at)
at best, at worst
At/ADP best/ADV , they were guesses
nmod(guesses, best)
case(best, At)
At/ADP worst/ADV , they were lies
nmod(lies, worst)
case(worst, At)
what if
What if John left early ?
advcl(What, left)
mark(left, if)
so long
So long , Ham 's ... you will be missed
advmod(long, So)
vocative(long, Ham)
parataxis(long, missed)
nothing but X, anything but X: but is treated as a preposition like except
Harriet eats nothing but tomato sandwiches
nmod(nothing, sandwiches)
case(sandwiches, but)
compared to/with X: compared is treated as a verb
This glass is tall compared to that one
advcl(tall, compared)
obl(compared, one)
case(one, to)
as soon as, as long as (standard comparative analysis; contrast coordinating as well as above)
Let 's leave as soon as it ends .
advmod(leave, soon)
advmod(soon, as-4)
advcl(soon, ends)
mark(ends, as-6)
nsubj(ends, it)
had better (and ‘d better) (issue #803)
You had/AUX better/ADV apologize
aux(apologize, had)
advmod(apologize, better)
about to (issue EWT#430)
We are/AUX about/ADJ to/PART leave
nsubj(about, We)
cop(about, are)
xcomp(about, leave)
mark(leave, to)
fixed in other languages: [bg] [bm] [cop] [cs] [de] [el] [en] [eu] [fi] [fr] [ga] [gd] [gsw] [hy] [id] [it] [ja] [ka] [ky] [pcm] [pt] [qpm] [ru] [sl] [sv] [tr] [u] [xcl]