Characterizing the English Preposition Upon

Characterizing the English Preposition Upon

This study aims to clarify the conditions under which the English preposition upon is employed in newspaper English. English dictionaries and grammar books, whether for general purposes or specific purposes, have not been very successful in providing a comprehensive documentation of this preposition. The present study, drawing upon texts from the archive of The New York Times, shows how occurences of this preposision involve a variety of factors on different levels of representation. The discussion will be on [upon+gerund], [verb+upon], [be+upon+noun], [noun+upon+noun], [once upon], and semantic contrast between upon and on. It will be demonstrated that upon, despite its apparently small range of utility, plays an active, unique role in journalism English. Some diachronic changes in the language of The New York Times will also be examined.