摘要：Bech's seminal distinction between coherent and incoherent constructions in German does not allow for those structures that display the traits of both coherence and incoherence simultaneously, e.g. the third construction. Hence his original two-way distinction has given way to a three-way distinction. This paper proposes that a three-way division is indeed more accurate. The approach presented here distinguishes between coherent, incoherent, and pseudoincoherent constituents. Nine diagnostics are utilized to support this three-way division, i.e. extraposition, intraposition, bare infinitive fronting, infinitival fronting, scrambling, pied-piping, position of negation, scope of negation, and gapping. The analysis is couched in a dependency grammar framework and formalized in terms of the two features ±s (scrambling) and ±p (predicate). Three principles of word order are formulated in terms of these features: the Scrambling Principle, the Predicate Serialization Principle, and the Predicate Weight Principle. An introduction to dependency grammar is provided
