Constituent chart: "Little Hans"

from Longacre, Robert E. and Shin Ja J.Hwang. n.d. Discourse Analysis/Textlinguistics: a Field Manual. Used by permission.

Sample	Meaning
text	moved (e.g. fronted) text
[in O]	where moved text "came from"
Note	analytic note
<text>	complement clause
{text}	relative clause
«text»	direct quotation

S#	Notes	Introducers	Preposed Dependent Clauses	Independent Clauses	Postposed Dependent Clauses
1	Stage	�	�	�	�	�	�	The winter afternoon	was	dark and grey over Old Strasbourg.	�	�	�	�
2a	�	�	�	�	�	�	�	Little flurries of snow	came whirling down	between the chimneys	�	�	�	�
� b	�	�	and	�	�	�	�	a biting wind	blew	in the narrow streets.	�	�	�	�
3a	VS order	Above the roofs,	�	�	Ø	rising	high into the clouds,	[in O]	stood	the great cathedral,	�	its stones	Ø	dim in the gathering gloom,
� b	�	�	�	�	�	�	�	�	�	�	�	its windows	catching	the lights within.
4	�	�	�	�	�	�	�	Fine people	were hurrying	up the broad steps —ladies with furs, gentlemen in splendid attire,	�	many of them	coming	in their carriages.
5	�	�	�	�	�	�	�	Little Hans	watched	them.	�	�	�	�
6a	�	�	�	�	Ø	Ø	Perished with cold,	�	�	�	�	�	�	�
� b	�	�	�	�	Ø	Ø	ragged,	�	�	�	�	�	�	�
� c	Durative	�	�	�	Ø	Ø	an unwanted bit of humanity,	he	snuggled	between two buttresses— a retreat from the wind—	�	�	�	�
� d	�	�	and	�	�	�	�	Ø	wished	�	�	�	�	�
� e	�	�	�	�	�	�	�	< he	dare go	into the cathedral {where all was warm and bright, and where (as he could dimly hear) the organ was pealing loudly.}>	�	�	�	�
7a	Punctil.	Suddenly	�	�	�	�	�	a little girl	left	her mother	as	she	came	up the steps,
� b	�	�	Ø	�	�	�	�	Ø	ran	towards him (all loveliness as she smiled)	�	�	�	�
� c	�	�	and	�	�	�	�	Ø	thrust	a big rosy apple into his hands.	�	�	�	�
8a	�	�	�	�	�	�	�	«That	's	for you, little boy,»	�	�	�	�
� b	�	�	�	�	�	�	�	she	said.	�	�	�	�	�
9a	�	Then	�	�	�	�	�	she and her mother	went in	at the great west door,	�	�	�	�
� b	�	�	and	�	�	�	�	Hans	stared	at the apple.	�	�	�	�
10a	�	�	�	�	�	�	�	He	thought	at first	�	�	�	�
� b	�	�	�	�	�	�	�	<he	would eat	it there and then,>	�	�	�	�
� c	�	�	but	�	�	�	�	he	wanted	�	�	�	�	�
� d	�	�	�	�	�	�	�	<Ø	to keep	it for a time,>	�	�	�	�
� e	�	�	so	�	�	�	�	he	held	it in his hands,	�	�	�	�
� f	�	�	and	�	�	�	�	Ø	went	timidly to the door of the cathedral.	�	�	�	�
11a	�	�	�	�	�	�	�	Most of the folk	were in,	�	�	�	�	�
� b	�	�	and	�	�	�	�	the service	had begun.	�	�	�	�	�
12	�	�	�	�	�	�	�	No one	turned him away.	[in V]	�	�	�	�
13a	�	�	�	�	�	�	�	He	plucked up	courage	�	�	�	�
� b	�	�	and	�	�	�	�	Ø	crept inside,	�	�	Ø	slinking	into a pew at the back.
14a	�	Only vaguely	�	�	�	�	�	[in V]	could he understand	the service,	�	�	�	�
� b	�	�	but	�	�	�	�	it	was	wonderful.	�	�	�	�
15	�	�	�	�	�	�	�	He	loved	the singing, the colour, the warmth.	�	�	�	�
16	�	Then	�	�	�	�	�	something terrible	happened.	�	�	�	�	�
17a	�	�	�	Before	he	realized	it,	dignified men {coming down the aisles}	were taking up	the collection,	�	�	�	�
� b	�	�	and	�	�	�	�	Hans— poor Hans—	had	nothing to give.	�	�	�	�
18a	�	�	�	�	�	�	�	He	would have run out	�	�	�	�	�
� b	�	�	�	�	�	�	�	[in V]	had he not been	too frightened to move.	�	�	�	�
19	�	What	�	�	�	�	�	[in V]	was he to do?	�	�	�	�	�
20a	�	�	�	�	�	�	�	Others	were giving	money	�	�	�	�
� b	�	�	�	�	�	�	�	—he	could hear	it.	�	�	�	�
21a	�	�	�	�	�	�	�	He	had	nothing ... nothing to give God except his apple,	�	�	�	�
� b	�	�	and	�	�	�	�	he	could not give	that.	�	�	�	�
22	�	�	�	�	�	�	�	He	dare not.	�	�	�	�	�
23	�	What	�	�	�	�	�	[in V]	would all the people say?	�	�	�	�	�
24	�	What	�	�	�	�	�	[in V]	would the man in the fine clothes say	—the one {standing on the steps amid all the bright candles at the far end} ?	�	�	�	�
25	�	And	�	�	�	�	�	[in V]	wouldn't God be	angry, too?	�	�	�	�
26a	�	�	�	�	�	�	�	It	seemed	to Hans	�	�	�	�
� b	Adv phr occurs between subord conj and S	�	<as if	�	�	�	�	all eyes	were fixed	on him>	when, in an agony of fear,	he	timidly placed	the red apple on the plate.
27a	�	�	�	�	�	�	�	He	held	his breath,	�	�	�	�
� b	�	�	but	�	�	�	�	no one	spoke,	�	�	�	�	�
� c	�	�	and	�	�	�	�	the man {who took the apple}	did not frown.	�	�	�	�	�
28a	�	�	�	�	�	�	�	He	allowed	�	�	�	�	�
� b	�	�	�	�	�	�	�	<it	to remain	on the plate with the silver coins.>	�	�	�	�
29a	�	Slowly	�	�	�	�	�	he	walked	along the aisle and up the steps to the choir,	�	�	�	�
� b	�	�	�	�	�	�	�	�	�	{where he handed the plate to the priest,	�	�	�	�
� c	�	�	�	�	�	�	�	�	�	{who blessed the gifts and then Ø reverently placed them on the altar.}}	�	�	�	�
30	�	And behold,	�	as	little Hans	watched,	�	the apple	changed.	�	�	�	�	�
31	�	�	�	�	�	�	�	It	became	shining gold— the most precious of all gifts, and well-pleasing in the sight of God.	�	�	�	�
32	�	�	�	�	�	�	�	His joy	was	boundless.	�	�	�	�

Notes

Introducers

Preposed Dependent Clauses

Independent Clauses

Postposed Dependent Clauses

�

S-I

S-M

conj.

O, etc.

O, Comp, Others

conj.

O, etc.

Stage

�

The winter afternoon

was

dark and grey over Old Strasbourg.

�

Little flurries of snow

came whirling down

between the chimneys

�

� b

�

and

�

a biting wind

blew

in the narrow streets.

�

VS order

Above the roofs,

�

rising

high into the clouds,

[in O]

stood

the great cathedral,

�

its stones

dim in the gathering gloom,

� b

�

its windows

catching

the lights within.

�

Fine people

were hurrying

up the broad steps —ladies with furs, gentlemen in splendid attire,

�

many of them

coming

in their carriages.

�

Little Hans

watched

them.

�

Perished with cold,

�

� b

�

ragged,

�

� c

Durative

�

an unwanted bit of humanity,

snuggled

between two buttresses— a retreat from the wind—

�

� d

�

and

�

wished

�

� e

�

< he

dare go

into the cathedral {where all was warm and bright, and where (as he could dimly hear) the organ was pealing loudly.}>

�

Punctil.

Suddenly

�

a little girl

left

her mother

she

came

up the steps,

� b

�

ran

towards him (all loveliness as she smiled)

�

� c

�

and

�

thrust

a big rosy apple into his hands.

�

«That

for you, little boy,»

�

� b

�

she

said.

�

Then

�

she and her mother

went in

at the great west door,

�

� b

�

and

�

Hans

stared

at the apple.

�

10a

�

thought

at first

�

� b

�

<he

would eat

it there and then,>

�

� c

�

but

�

wanted

�

� d

�

<Ø

to keep

it for a time,>

�

� e

�

held

it in his hands,

�

� f

�

and

�

went

timidly to the door of the cathedral.

�

11a

�

Most of the folk

were in,

�

� b

�

and

�

the service

had begun.

�

No one

turned him away.

[in V]

�

13a

�

plucked up

courage

�

� b

�

and

�

crept inside,

�

slinking

into a pew at the back.

14a

�

Only vaguely

�

[in V]

could he understand

the service,

�

� b

�

but

�

was

wonderful.

�

loved

the singing, the colour, the warmth.

�

Then

�

something terrible

happened.

�

17a

�

Before

realized

it,

dignified men {coming down the aisles}

were taking up

the collection,

�

� b

�

and

�

Hans— poor Hans—

had

nothing to give.

�

18a

�

would have run out

�

� b

�

[in V]

had he not been

too frightened to move.

�

What

�

[in V]

was he to do?

�

20a

�

Others

were giving

money

�

� b

�

—he

could hear

it.

�

21a

�

had

nothing ... nothing to give God except his apple,

�

� b

�

and

�

could not give

that.

�

dare not.

�

What

�

[in V]

would all the people say?

�

What

�

[in V]

would the man in the fine clothes say

—the one {standing on the steps amid all the bright candles at the far end} ?

�

And

�

[in V]

wouldn't God be

angry, too?

�

26a

�

seemed

to Hans

�

� b

Adv phr occurs between subord conj and S

�

<as if

�

all eyes

were fixed

on him>

when, in an agony of fear,

timidly placed

the red apple on the plate.

27a

�

held

his breath,

�

� b

�

but

�

no one

spoke,

�

� c

�

and

�

the man {who took the apple}

did not frown.

�

28a

�

allowed

�

� b

�

<it

to remain

on the plate with the silver coins.>

�

29a

�

Slowly

�

walked

along the aisle and up the steps to the choir,

�

� b

�

{where he handed the plate to the priest,

�

� c

�

{who blessed the gifts and then Ø reverently placed them on the altar.}}

�

And behold,

�

little Hans

watched,

�

the apple

changed.

�

became

shining gold— the most precious of all gifts, and well-pleasing in the sight of God.

�

His joy

was

boundless.

�