Task 1: Patterns of Affirmative Sentences
Do Used in Court Trials and Sermons

Spoken language had a great impact on the development of do-periphrasis. In the sixteenth century, the auxiliary do can be observed in affirmative sentences of the “records of court trials, which consist mainly of dialogue, and, to a somewhat lesser extent, in sermons” (Rissanen 1999, 240).

a)Read the extract from Sir Nicholas Throckmorton’s trial and pay attention to the usage of the do-periphrasis!

Throckmorton: I confess I did mislike the Queenes Mariage with Spain, and also the com-ming of the Spanyards hither: and then me thought I had reason to doe so, for I did learne the Reasons of my misliking of you M. Hare, M. Southwell, and others in the Parliament House; there I did see the whole Consent of the Realm against it; and I a Hearer, but no Speaker, did learne my misliking of those Matters, confirmed by many sundry Reasons amongst you: but as concerning any sturre or vprore against the Spanyards, I neuer made any, neyther procured any to be made (HC, The Trial of Sir Nicholas Throckmorton. 1554, 66)

b) Please click on all the correct answers!

Taking Throckmorton’s usage of do into account, you may generally derive that
(x) do may be used in argumentative discourses
(x) do may be used to influence the audience’s opinion
(x) the usage of do is embedded in a highly formal language
( ) do is more often used in written than in spoken language
( ) do is often used in colloquial language (resembling the German tun)
(x) the usage of do supports the emphasis and force of an utterance
(x) do is not necessarily used in emphatic contexts
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Source:
Nevalainen 2006, 109
Rissanen 1999, 140