V2 in English
While modern English is broadly SV (not V2), an earlier stage of English was V2, and some vestiges of the former V2 structure surface in a number of varying constructions. Many instances of subject-auxiliary inversion, for instance, can be analyzed as V2 structures. Some examples of V2 constructions in English are given next:
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- a. Sam is watching the cup games.
- b. Which games is Sam watching?
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- a. He will drink schnapps at no point.
- b. At no point will he drink schnapps.
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- a. Many photographers sat behind the goal.
- b. Behind the goal sat many photographers.
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- a. No aspect of the game was unexpected.
- b. Unexpected was no aspect of the game.
Since the finite verb is preceded by a single non-subject major constituent in each of these sentences, these constructions can be interpreted as obeying the V2 principle.
Read more about this topic: V2 Word Order
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