Deviation in Language and Expectations

Deviation and Foregrounding

• Deviation occurs when rules or expectations are broken, attracting attention and aiding memorability.
• Deviation is not limited to language, e.g., breaking a dress code.

Constraints in Language

• In the phrase "a -------------- ago", the missing word must be a countable noun referring to a period of time (e.g., day, week, month, year).
• The noun must be countable because of the indefinite article "a" modifying it.
• Uncountable nouns cannot be modified by the indefinite article (e.g., *"a furniture" or *"three furnitures").

Grammatical and Semantic Constraints

• The choices for the missing word obey constraints at two linguistic levels:
  • Grammatical: the noun must be countable due to the indefinite article "a".
  • Semantic: the noun must refer to a period of time for semantic consistency with the postmodifier "ago".