4.1.3. Contrastive focus

Contrastive focus is used for invalidating the old information mentioned in the previous discourse by providing a new one. This is also a case of new information focus since one constituent is made salient. However, in contrastive focus, the salient constituent is contrasted with a previously mentioned constituent.

 

ankara[focus] (yesterday) (evening) (go)

โ€˜TO ANKARA, I went yesterday evening.โ€™

(Adapted from MakaroฤŸlu 2012: 68)

 

Another example of contrastive focus is provided below. The information that โ€˜The house belongs to all her family.โ€™ is invalidated by providing the information that it belongs to โ€˜herโ€™ only.

 

  ฤฑx3a                 house               family               all                     poss3                      no-no                       poss1

โ€˜That house does not belong to all her family. (It is) HERS.โ€™

(http://tidsozluk.net/tr/Kendi?d=0058)