THE END OF
a) Frequency
‘The
end of’ was the third most frequent three-word cluster in the BEC and the
fourth most frequent in the BNC.
|
N in BEC |
Word |
bec freq. |
bec.lst % |
N in BNC |
bnc freq. |
bnc.lst % |
|
3 |
THE
END OF |
249 |
0.02 |
4 |
424 |
0.02 |
b) Semantic Prosody
Left:
No groups identified, but see colligation section below.
Right:
Two groups identified.
|
semantic prosody |
frequency/ 249 & % |
example |
|
periods
of time |
191
- 76.71% |
the
end of 1999 the
end of December the
end of the year the
end of the month at
the end of the day* |
|
meetings |
8 -
3.21% |
that’s
the end of the meeting until
the end of the meeting |
* At the end of
the day is
used metaphorically 30 times out of 33 actual occurrences - often preceded by because or but:
c) Clusters
6-word:
|
N |
cluster |
Freq. |
|
1 |
at
the end of the day |
33 |
|
2 |
at
the end of the year |
12 |
|
3 |
by
the end of the year |
6 |
|
4 |
at
the end of the week |
5 |
|
5 |
but
at the end of the |
5 |
|
6 |
the
end of the financial year |
5 |
|
7 |
at
the end of the financial |
4 |
|
8 |
the
end of the tax year |
3 |
|
9 |
until
the end of the meeting |
3 |
5-word:
|
N |
cluster |
Freq. |
|
1 |
at
the end of the |
72 |
|
2 |
the
end of the day |
34 |
|
3 |
the
end of the year |
23 |
|
4 |
by
the end of # |
13 |
|
5 |
by
the end of the |
13 |
|
6 |
at
the end of # |
11 |
|
7 |
at
the end of this |
8 |
|
8 |
the
end of the week |
8 |
|
9 |
but
at the end of |
6 |
|
10 |
the
end of the meeting |
6 |
|
11 |
end
of the financial year |
5 |
|
12 |
the
end of the financial |
5 |
|
13 |
towards
the end of the |
5 |
|
14 |
until
the end of the |
5 |
|
15 |
and
at the end of |
4 |
|
16 |
at
the end of a |
4 |
|
17 |
at
the end of last |
4 |
|
18 |
the
end of # the |
4 |
|
19 |
the
end of last year |
4 |
|
20 |
the
end of this month |
4 |
4-word:
|
N |
cluster |
Freq. |
|
1 |
at
the end of |
127 |
|
2 |
the
end of the |
117 |
|
3 |
by
the end of |
43 |
|
4 |
end
of the day |
34 |
|
5 |
the
end of # |
34 |
|
6 |
end
of the year |
23 |
|
7 |
the
end of this |
16 |
|
8 |
towards
the end of |
16 |
|
9 |
to
the end of |
11 |
|
10 |
end
of the week |
8 |
|
11 |
before
the end of |
7 |
|
12 |
the
end of last |
7 |
|
13 |
until
the end of |
7 |
|
14 |
but
at the end |
6 |
|
15 |
end
of the meeting |
6 |
|
16 |
the
end of a |
6 |
|
17 |
the
end of December |
6 |
|
18 |
end
of the financial |
5 |
|
19 |
of
the financial year |
5 |
|
20 |
the
end of march |
5 |
|
21 |
the
end of next |
5 |
|
22 |
the
end of November |
5 |
|
23 |
the
end of October |
5 |
|
24 |
and
at the end |
4 |
|
25 |
end
of # the |
4 |
|
26 |
end
of last year |
4 |
|
27 |
end
of this month |
4 |
|
28 |
that's
the end of |
4 |
|
29 |
the
end of July |
4 |
d) Macro-generic distribution
e) Colligation
Definition:
the end of occurs
almost entirely in pre-modified prepositional phrases (230 out of 249 examples
in the sample). The most common of these are laid out below, along with their
frequencies.
i) at
+ the end of + noun (group)
127 instances
- 51% of sample
ii) by + the end of + noun (group)
43
instances - 17.26% of sample
iii) toward/s + the end of + noun group
18
instances - 7.22% of sample
Other,
smaller prepositional phrases found were: before/from/to/until
+ the end of.
f) Associates
No
associates identified.