Splitting examples in gb4e

Question

I would like to split examples in the \usepackage{gb4e} to get explanatory remarks as close to the explained item as possible. Usually, my typeset examples are looking like this:

(1) blabla
(2) a. blabla,
    b. blabla
    c. blabla
(3) blabla bal

Then I provide some explanatory remarks.

This is produced by:

\begin{exe}
  \ex  blabla
  \ex \begin{xlist}
      \ex blabla
      \ex blabla
      \ex blabla
    \end{xlist}
  \ex blabla bla
\end{exe}

I would like the examples to look either like this...

(1) blabla
(2) a. blabla,
    b. blabla

Some explanatory remarks. Some explanatory remarks. Some explanatory remarks. 
Some explanatory remarks. Some explanatory remarks.  

    c. blabla
(3) blabla bal

...or like this:

(1) blabla
(2) a. blabla,
    b. blabla

Some explanatory remarks. Some explanatory remarks. Some explanatory remarks. 
Some explanatory remarks. Some explanatory remarks.

(2) c. blabla
(3) blabla bal

The latter option repeats the number "(2)" before "c.", the other doesn't.

So the idea is to divide examples into several pieces and give some explanations in between. The ideal answer would begin like this:

\begin{exe}
  \ex  blabla
  \ex \begin{xlist}
      \ex blabla
      \ex blabla
    \end{xlist}
\end{exe}

Explanatory remarks...

The remaining commands/environments I don't know how to generate. I guess there is a way doing it based on \setcounter. But if this would work, I wouldn't know how to get a solution without the number.

Answer 1

Against my better judgement, here's a way to get your both of your suggested formats. We save the counter value and use the gb4e macro \exr to refer to the label of the split example for the second format, and use the gb4e macro \sn to get the first format. I don't recommend using either of these, however.

\documentclass{article}
\usepackage{gb4e}
\newcounter{savedex}
\makeatletter
\newcommand*{\saveex}{\setcounter{savedex}{\value{\@xnumctr}}}
\newcommand*{\resumeex}{\setcounter{\@xnumctr}{\value{savedex}}}
\makeatother
\begin{document}
\noindent This is some text.

\begin{exe}
\ex\label{1}
  \begin{xlist}
    \ex This is an example.
    \ex This is another example.
    \saveex
  \end{xlist}
\end{exe}

\noindent These are some remarks about this example.

\begin{exe}
\exr{1}
  \begin{xlist}
    \resumeex
    \ex An example.
    \ex Another example.
    \saveex
  \end{xlist}
\end{exe}

\noindent some more remarks.

\begin{exe}
\sn
  \begin{xlist}
    \resumeex
    \ex An example.
    \ex Another example.
  \end{xlist}
\end{exe}
\end{document}

Answer 2

Edit1: solution with gb4e + float

In response to Alan Munn comments, to maintain the gb4e package and split the sublist with remarks without any indentation, a solution could be a new float environment with the H option, although this can produce the usual problems of floats (too many floats,etc.):

\documentclass{article}    
\usepackage[utf8]{inputenc}    
\usepackage{gb4e}    
\usepackage{float}
\newfloat{remarks}{H}{rem}
\setlength{\textfloatsep}{0em} 
\setlength{\abovecaptionskip}{0em}
\setlength{\belowcaptionskip}{0em}
\restylefloat{remarks}
\begin{document}
\begin{exe}
  \ex  blabla
  \ex \begin{xlist}
      \ex blabla
      \ex blabla
\begin{remarks}
Some explanatory remarks. 
Some explanatory remarks. 
Some explanatory remarks. 
Some explanatory remarks.  
\end{remarks}
      \ex blabla
    \end{xlist}
  \ex blabla bla
\end{exe}
\end{document}

As for me this is also a bad idea, I left my original answers withouth gb4e with references at the end of sublists although this can be done with this package (and I think that with linguex or philex as well).

\documentclass{article}
\newcounter{example}
\setcounter{example}{0}
\newenvironment{examples}{%
  \list{(\theexample)}%
  {\def\example{\refstepcounter{example}\item}%
    \settowidth{\leftmargin}{10.\hskip\labelsep}%
    \labelwidth\leftmargin\advance\labelwidth-\labelsep}}
{\endlist}

\newcounter{partno}
\renewcommand\thepartno{\alph{partno}}
\newenvironment{parts}{\list{\thepartno.}%
{\def\part{\item}%
 \usecounter{partno}%
 \settowidth{\leftmargin}{(m)\hskip\labelsep}%
 \labelwidth\leftmargin\advance\labelwidth-\labelsep}}%
{\endlist}

\begin{document}

\begin{examples}
  \example Bla bla bla 
  \example \label{second} Bla bla bla 
    \begin{parts}
    \part Bla bla bla 
    \part \label{second-b} Bla bla bla 
     \end{parts}
\end{examples}

\noindent Some explanatory remarks 
on \ref{second}.\ref{second-b}. 
Some explanatory remarks. Some explanatory remarks.
Some explanatory remarks. Some explanatory remarks.  


\begin{examples}
  \example Bla bla bla
  \example \label{fourth} Bla bla bla
  \end{examples}

\noindent Some explanatory remarks on \ref{fourth}.
Some explanatory remarks. Some explanatory remarks.
Some explanatory remarks. Some explanatory remarks.  

\end{document}