Talk:when

Part of speech[change]

Since when is this a preposition? DCDuring (talk) 11:08, 11 September 2010 (UTC)[reply]

It's been listed as such here since 2007. See the Cambridge Grammar of the English Language chapter 7 section 2.4 (from p 612) for rationale.--Brett (talk) 16:59, 11 September 2010 (UTC)[reply]

I believe DCDuring is asking this because enwikt does not have it listed as a preposition see here. Griffinofwales (talk) 17:01, 11 September 2010 (UTC)[reply]

We differ in a number of ways from enwikt.--Brett (talk) 17:03, 11 September 2010 (UTC)[reply]

I had read the CGEL passage. And how would one analyze "when" as a preposition in "Since when is it a preposition?"? As a zero-preposition following the preposition "since"?

For that matter, how do the definitions and PoS fit: "I was walking down the street when Ned Bryerson comes over and starts talking." DCDuring (talk) 18:45, 11 September 2010 (UTC)[reply]

I thought you probably had... And yes, I noticed the double entendre of your question. Indeed, since already takes PPs as complements (e.g., since before the revolution), so it's no stretch to get since when.

In your last example, when is a preposition taking clausal complements. None of the definitions really fit though. It's more like and then, isn't it.--Brett (talk) 00:58, 12 September 2010 (UTC)[reply]

Either "and then" or it is a role reversal of preceding and following. The preceding is the subordinate and the following the main and the gloss something like "whereupon", "whereafter". I have had trouble find a gloss anywhere. I can find it in many narratives with a progressive aspect verb in the preceding clause. DCDuring (talk) 06:08, 12 September 2010 (UTC)[reply]

I don't see the reversal. Whereupon and whereafter would also be prepositions with clausal complements, and I think they would be suitable glosses.--Brett (talk) 12:48, 12 September 2010 (UTC)[reply]

@Victor Bob: What is your basis for the pronoun analysis?--Brett (talk) 13:24, 22 August 2023 (UTC)[reply]

In the sentence When was the last time you went to your local library?, when is a pronoun in subject function and the last time you went to your local library is a specifying complement of the copula.

——Victor Bob (talk) 13:37, 22 August 2023 (UTC)[reply]

At 9:00 on Sunday was the last time I went to my local library.
Home was the last place I wanted to be.
Here was the last place I wanted to be.
Under her gaze was the last place I wanted to be.
At the beginning was the right place to start.

--Brett (talk) 14:12, 22 August 2023 (UTC)[reply]

I see. They are instances of subject-dependent inversion. Victor Bob (talk) 14:14, 22 August 2023 (UTC)[reply]