Contractions of English semi-modals : the emancipating effect of frequency
The current restructuring of the English modal system has long been noted as an ongoing language change process. Semi-modal constructions such as 'BE going to' and 'HAVE got to' are textbook cases of grammaticalization. As grammaticalization comes with a rise in frequency, these semi-modals are also typical examples of the ‘reducing effect’ of frequency, which leads to the contracted forms 'gonna'
