Value Particle, open-class items may intervene

Language:
Tok Pisin
Parameter:
Tightness of the link between the progressive marker and the verb

Examples

  1. Ol lapun meri i mumuim kaikai istap.
    Ol
    pl
    lapun
    old
    meri
    woman
    i
    pm
    mumu-im
    earth.oven-tr
    kaikai
    food
    istap.
    prog
    The old women are cooking food in an earth oven.

    See Dutton and Thomas 1985: 116

  2. Ol man meri wok long singsing na kaikai na mekim kain kain samting stap.
    Ol
    pl
    man
    man
    meri
    woman
    wok
    prog
    long
    prog
    singsing
    sing
    na
    and
    kaikai
    eat
    na
    and
    mek-im
    do-tr
    kain
    kind
    kain
    kind
    samting
    thing
    stap.
    prog
    Everyone was singing and feasting and doing all kinds of things.

    See nd

  3. Na narapla i wok long bagarapim stret narapla man ia.
    Na
    and
    nara-pla
    other-mod
    i
    pm
    wok
    prog
    long
    prog
    bagarap-im
    spoil-tr
    stret
    completely
    nara-pla
    other-mod
    man
    man
    ia.
    foc
    And they were completely bashing each other up.

    See nd