This thesis explores the phrasal verb construction ("get off," "takeover") from a previously unexplored vantage point--that of its frequency and variation in terms of contextual or register constraints. Ten separate discourses were used as the corpus for this study, two in each of fiveterms of percentage per pragmatic context, frequency of particular particles and verbs on each level, and other significant pragmatic criteria.

Much recent attention has been devoted to the semantic, syntactic, and pragmatic properties of phrasal verbs--those two-part lexical items like "put on" and "tighten up", along with suggestions regarding effective methods of teaching them to non-native speakers. According to Cornell (1985), phrasal verbs, "have been 'discovered' as an important component in curricula for English as a Foreign Language" (p. 1). However, it is very possible that they have become objects of current research primarily because of their complexity: their polysemy, their idiomaticity, their syntactic restraints, a complexity that means covering phrasal verbs in an ESL/EFL course can be a time-consuming process.

The purpose of this research was to analyze the status of the English auxiliary system in the verb phrases of the writing of a selected group of sixth grade children to determine whether there would be measurable differences between the incorporation and comprehension of verb phrase expansions of children taught generative-transformational theory and those taught traditional theory.The research was designed to answer four questions relevant to the effects of the experimental treatment on the writing productivity of the subjects in the study. I collected writing samples from the subjects for pre-test and post-test evaluation. The first 100 verb forms collected from the subjects' pre-test and post-test writing were analyzed for changes in the subjects' use of expanded verb forms. The purpose of this analysis was to determine if the experimental subjects utilized fewer simple verb forms and more expanded verb forms in their post-test sampling.The sampling consisted of fifteen Caucasians and six Blacks in each group for a total of forty-two subjects. The subjects were students attending the Henry Barnard School which serves as the laboratory setting for Rhode Island College. The groups were equalized in terms of I.Q. and language achievement. While I collected the post-test data, the experimental subjects studied generative-transformational methods of verb phrase expansions and the control subjects studied traditional methods of verb phrase expansions.The data were analyzed by means of a two-way factorial analysis which computed the statistical differences for the experimental (Black-Caucasian)/control (Black-Caucasian), pre-test, post-test variables. In order to determine statistically significant differences for the groups, t-scores and f-scores were analyzed. The following conclusions were drawn from the statistical findings.Although none of the statistical summaries were significant at the .05 level, the experimental subjects showed more gains in their use of expanded verb forms in their posttest writing than the control group showed. Among the experimental subjects who made gains in their use of expanded verb forms, the Black population made the greatest gains. The most complex verb forms did not appear in the post-test sampling of either group. These complex forms seemed to be beyond the written linguistic productivity of sixth-grade children.

by Hua Dongfan. / Thesis (M.Phil.)--Chinese University of Hong Kong, 1991. / Includes bibliographical references. / Acknowledgments --- p.i / Abstract --- p.i i / Table of Contents --- p.iv / List of tables --- p.vii / Chapter Chapter 1. --- Introduction --- p.1 / Chapter 1.1. --- The English Dative --- p.1 / Chapter 1.2. --- The Learnability Problem --- p.3 / Chapter 1.3. --- Aims of the Present Study --- p.8 / Chapter Chapter 2. --- Approaches to the Acquisition of the English Dative --- p.13 / Chapter 2.1. --- Approaches to the Acquisition of the English Dative --- p.13 / Chapter 2.1.1. --- An Item-by-item Approach --- p.14 / Chapter 2.1.2. --- A Semantic and Morphophonological Approach --- p.15 / Chapter 2.1.3. --- A Formal Approach --- p.19 / Chapter 2.2. --- Empirical Studies on the Acquisition of the English Dative --- p.22 / Chapter 2.2.1. --- L1 Acquisition of the English Dative --- p.22 / Chapter (a) --- Mazurkewich and White (1984) --- p.22 / Chapter (b) --- White ( 1987 ) --- p.23 / Chapter (c) --- Gropen et al . (1989) --- p.25 / Chapter 2.2.2. --- L2 Acquisition of the English Dative --- p.27 / Chapter (a) --- Mazurkewich ( 1984 ) --- p.27 / Chapter (b) --- Le Compagnon (1984) --- p.28 / Chapter (c) --- Hawkins ( 1987 ) --- p.31 / Chapter Chapter 3. --- Research Design and Procedure --- p.36 / Chapter 3.1. --- Test Design --- p.37 / Chapter 3.1.1. --- Test 1 --- p.38 / Chapter 3.1.2. --- Hypotheses --- p.44 / Chapter 3.2. --- Test 2 --- p.46 / Chapter 3.3. --- Test 3 and Test 4 --- p.47 / Chapter 3.4. --- Cloze Test --- p.50 / Chapter 3.5. --- Subjects --- p.50 / Chapter 3.6. --- Test Procedure --- p.52 / Chapter Chapter 4 --- . Results --- p.54 / Chapter 4.1. --- Scoring Method --- p.54 / Chapter 4.2. --- Results of Test 1 --- p.55 / Chapter 4.2.1. --- Subjects' Judgments of Prepositional Datives --- p.55 / Chapter 4.2.2. --- Subjects' Judgments of Double-object Datives --- p.56 / Chapter 4.2.2.1. --- Performance of Native Speakers --- p.56 / Chapter 4.2.2.2. --- Performance of Secondary Students --- p.57 / Chapter 4.2.2.3. --- Performance of University Students --- p.59 / Chapter 4.2.2.4. --- The Effect of L1 --- p.62 / Chapter 4.3. --- Results of Test 2 --- p.63 / Chapter 4.4. --- Results of Test 3 and Test 4 --- p.64 / Chapter 4.5. --- Summary --- p.67 / Chapter Chapter 5. --- Discussion --- p.71 / Chapter 5.1. --- The Semantic Constraint on the English Dative --- p.71 / Chapter 5.2. --- Overgeneralization and the Learnability Problem --- p.76 / Chapter 5.3. --- L1 Influence on Dative Acquisition by Chinese ESL Learners --- p.81 / Chapter Chapter 6. --- Conclusions --- p.85 / References --- p.89 / Chapter Appendix I. --- Verb Check List --- p.93 / Chapter Appendix IIa. --- Instruction for Test 1 --- p.94 / Chapter Appendix IIb. --- Test Sentences for Test 1 --- p.96 / Chapter Appendix IIIa. --- Instruction for Test 2 --- p.103 / Chapter Appendix IIIb. --- Test Sentences for Test 2 --- p.104 / Chapter Appendix IVa. --- Instruction for Test 3 --- p.107 / Chapter Appendix IVb. --- Test Sentences for Test 3 --- p.108 / Chapter Appendix Va. --- Instruction for Test 4 --- p.110 / Chapter Appendix Vb. --- Test Sentences for Test 4 --- p.111 / Chapter Appendix VI. --- Cloze Test --- p.114

Phrasal verbs are a pervasive and distinctly Germanic part of the spoken English language that has been alive for centuries. They have preceded American history, and yet considered to be "the most active and creative pattern and word formation in the American language" (Meyer, 1975). Distinctly colloquial, idiomatic and varying in shades of literalness and figurativity, phrasal verbs are largely dominant in casual usage, such as conversation, while the Latinate verbs of English are dominant in formal usage, such as in making reports (McArthur 1989). While foreign educators and their students, such as from Chinese countries, are found to emphasize English study for formal and academic purposes, the acquisition of phrasal verbs may not be considered instrumental to the purposes of the students coming to the United States in pursuit of academic degrees. Because of the pervasiveness of phrasal verbs in spoken English language, and because of the largely conversational nature of American lectures, this study is intended to answer the following research questions: 1. In university classrooms, are the phrasal verbs spoken by native English speaking lecturers? 2. Are figurative phrasal verbs in academic lectures significantly greater in frequency than non-figuratively classified phrasal verbs in the academic lectures? 3. Do certain academic subjects tend to generate a significant increase in the number of phrasal verbs spoken by instructors, of either figurative phrasal verbs, or the more literal non-figuratively classified phrasal verbs?

Typescript (photocopy) / Thesis (Ph. D.)--University of Hawaii at Manoa, 1980. / Bibliography: leaves 150-154. / Microfiche. / vi, 154 leaves, bound 29 cm

Leung Chung-hong. / Thesis (M.Phil.)--Chinese University of Hong Kong, 2004. / Includes bibliographical references (leaves 178-193). / Abstracts in English and Chinese. / ACKNOWLEDGEMENT --- p.i / ABSTRACT (English version) --- p.ii / ABSTRACT (Chinese version) --- p.iii / TABLE OF CONTENTS --- p.iv / LIST OF TABLES --- p.x / LIST OF FIGURES --- p.xi / LIST OF APPENDICES --- p.xii / Chapter CHAPTER ONE: --- INTRODUCTION --- p.1 / Chapter 1.1 --- Introduction --- p.1 / Chapter 1.2 --- Phraseology and second language acquisition --- p.1 / Chapter 1.3 --- Phrasal verbs in ESL/EFL students --- p.3 / Chapter 1.4 --- The proposed particle-based learning (PBL) of phrasal verbs --- p.5 / Chapter 1.5 --- Cognitive semantic framework for PBL --- p.6 / Chapter 1.5.1 --- The theory of conceptual metaphors --- p.6 / Chapter 1.5.2 --- The theory of image schemas --- p.7 / Chapter 1.5.3 --- A cognitive semantic approach to teaching phrasal verbs --- p.8 / Chapter 1.6 --- Research gaps and research implications --- p.9 / Chapter 1.7 --- Organization of this thesis --- p.10 / Chapter CHAPTER TWO: --- ESL/EFL LEARNING OF ENGLISH PHRASAL VERBS --- p.13 / Chapter 2.1 --- Introduction --- p.13 / Chapter 2.2 --- General views on phrasal verbs in ESL/EFL learning --- p.14 / Chapter 2.2.1 --- Phrasal verbs in SLA research --- p.14 / Chapter 2.2.2 --- ESL/EFL learners' phraseological incompetence and ignorance --- p.15 / Chapter 2.2.3 --- Summary --- p.17 / Chapter 2.3 --- Avoidance behaviour of phrasal verbs in ESL/EFL learners --- p.17 / Chapter 2.3.1 --- Definition of avoidance --- p.18 / Chapter 2.3.2 --- Causes of avoidance --- p.20 / Chapter 2.3.3 --- Four previous studies on avoidance of phrasal verbs --- p.22 / Chapter 2.3.3.1 --- Dagut and Laufer's study (1985) --- p.24 / Chapter 2.3.3.2 --- Hulstijn and Marchena's study (1989) --- p.25 / Chapter 2.3.3.3 --- Laufer and Eliasson's study (1993) --- p.26 / Chapter 2.3.3.4 --- Liao and Fukuya's study (2002) --- p.27 / Chapter 2.4 --- Avoidance of figurative phrasal verbs --- p.28 / Chapter 2.5 --- Summary --- p.31 / Chapter CHAPTER THREE: --- "PHRASAL VERBS, CONCEPTUAL METAPHORS AND IMAGE SCHEMAS" --- p.33 / Chapter 3.1 --- Introduction --- p.33 / Chapter 3.2 --- Phrasal verbs as a category of multi-word verbs --- p.34 / Chapter 3.3 --- Multi-word verbs --- p.34 / Chapter 3.3.1 --- The syntactic frame of multi-word verbs --- p.36 / Chapter 3.3.2 --- The semantic frame of multi-word verbs --- p.37 / Chapter 3.3.3 --- Summary --- p.37 / Chapter 3.4 --- Defining phrasal verbs --- p.39 / Chapter 3.4.1 --- """VPC and literal + figurative"" as phrasal verbs" --- p.41 / Chapter 3.4.2 --- """VPC + VPP and literal + figurative"" as phrasal verbs" --- p.46 / Chapter 3.5 --- A cognitive approach to the understanding of phrasal verbs (Part I) --- p.49 / Chapter 3.5.1 --- The meaning of the particles in phrasal verbs --- p.50 / Chapter 3.5.2 --- "The metaphorical extension of the spatial, prototypical particles" --- p.51 / Chapter 3.5.3 --- A cognitive schematic representation of particles in phrasal verbs --- p.54 / Chapter 3.5.4 --- Summary --- p.58 / Chapter 3.6 --- The theory of conceptual metaphors --- p.59 / Chapter 3.6.1 --- Metaphor as ordinary everyday language --- p.59 / Chapter 3.6.2 --- Conceptual metaphor as a cross-domain mapping --- p.61 / Chapter 3.7 --- The theory of image schemas --- p.64 / Chapter 3.7.1 --- Image schemas as the basis for thought and understanding --- p.65 / Chapter 3.7.2 --- Examples of image schemas --- p.66 / Chapter 3.7.2.1 --- The PATH schema --- p.66 / Chapter 3.7.2.2 --- The CONTAINER schema --- p.68 / Chapter 3.7.3 --- Image schemas as the underlying logic of conceptual metaphors --- p.69 / Chapter 3.7.4 --- Image schemas in relation to words --- p.71 / Chapter 3.7.5 --- Summary: A hierarchical framework --- p.72 / Chapter 3.8 --- A cognitive approach to the understanding of phrasal verbs (Part II) --- p.74 / Chapter 3.8.1 --- A new classification of phrasal verbs based on the cognitive semantic framework --- p.74 / Chapter 3.8.2 --- Rationale for the particle-based learning (PBL) --- p.77 / Chapter 3.8.3 --- The particle-based learning model (PBLM) --- p.80 / Chapter 3.8.4 --- Conclusion --- p.86 / Chapter CHAPTER FOUR: --- RESEARCH QUESTIONS AND METHODOLOGY --- p.87 / Chapter 4.1 --- Introduction --- p.87 / Chapter 4.2 --- Metaphorical competence and motivation --- p.87 / Chapter 4.3 --- Research questions and hypotheses --- p.89 / Chapter 4.4 --- Research methodology --- p.91 / Chapter 4.4.1 --- Subjects --- p.91 / Chapter 4.4.2 --- Materials --- p.91 / Chapter 4.4.2.1 --- Elicitation of phrasal verbs for test --- p.91 / Chapter 4.4.2.2 --- Materials design --- p.95 / Chapter 4.4.2.2.1 --- Pre-test paper --- p.95 / Chapter 4.4.2.2.2 --- Teaching and learning paper --- p.96 / Chapter 4.4.2.2.3 --- Post-test paper --- p.98 / Chapter 4.4.2.2.4 --- Questionnaire --- p.99 / Chapter 4.4.2.2.5 --- One-week delay test paper --- p.99 / Chapter 4.4.3 --- Procedures --- p.99 / Chapter 4.4.4 --- Scoring system --- p.103 / Chapter CHAPTER FIVE: --- GENERAL RESULTS FROM SPSS --- p.105 / Chapter 5.1 --- Introduction --- p.105 / Chapter 5.2 --- Results of pre-test and pro-test --- p.106 / Chapter 5.2.1 --- The output of SPSS --- p.106 / Chapter 5.2.2 --- General description --- p.107 / Chapter 5.3 --- Results of Hypothesis1 --- p.108 / Chapter 5.3.1 --- The output of SPSS --- p.108 / Chapter 5.3.2 --- General description --- p.109 / Chapter 5.3.3 --- Conclusion --- p.110 / Chapter 5.4 --- Results of Hypothesis2 --- p.110 / Chapter 5.4.1 --- The output of SPSS --- p.110 / Chapter 5.4.2 --- General description --- p.111 / Chapter 5.4.3 --- Conclusion --- p.112 / Chapter 5.5 --- Results of Hypothesis 3 --- p.112 / Chapter 5.5.1 --- The mean score for each question --- p.113 / Chapter 5.5.2 --- The output of SPSS --- p.114 / Chapter 5.5.3 --- General description --- p.114 / Chapter 5.5.4 --- Conclusion --- p.114 / Chapter 5.6 --- Summary --- p.115 / Chapter CHAPTER SIX: --- GENERAL DISCUSSIONS OF RESULTS --- p.117 / Chapter 6.1 --- Introduction --- p.117 / Chapter 6.2 --- Discussion of Hypothesis1 --- p.117 / Chapter 6.2.1 --- General evaluation of Hypothesis1 --- p.117 / Chapter 6.2.2 --- Conceptual metaphors and image schemas as embodied motivation --- p.119 / Chapter 6.2.3 --- English as a satellite-framed language --- p.123 / Chapter 6.2.4 --- Visualization and dual coding theory --- p.124 / Chapter 6.2.5 --- Consolidation and elaboration in vocabulary acquisition --- p.127 / Chapter 6.3 --- Discussion of Hypothesis2 --- p.130 / Chapter 6.3.1 --- General evaluation of Hypothesis2 --- p.130 / Chapter 6.3.2 --- The cognitive linguistic view on polysemous words --- p.132 / Chapter 6.3.3 --- Effective guessing based on core meaning --- p.135 / Chapter 6.4 --- Discussion of Hypothesis3 --- p.136 / Chapter 6.4.1 --- General evaluation of Hypothesis3 --- p.136 / Chapter 6.4.2 --- Discussion of six questions of questionnaire --- p.137 / Chapter 6.4.3 --- Fallacies in traditional phrasal verb learning --- p.140 / Chapter 6.4.4 --- Metaphoric triangle for phrasal verb learning --- p.142 / Chapter 6.5 --- Summary --- p.144 / Chapter CHAPTER SEVEN: --- PEDAGOGICAL IMPLICATIONS AND CONCLUSION --- p.149 / Chapter 7.1 --- Introduction --- p.149 / Chapter 7.2 --- Traditional approach to phrasal verbs in Hong Kong English textbooks --- p.150 / Chapter 7.3 --- Pedagogical implications of PBL on phrasal verb learning --- p.155 / Chapter 7.3.1 --- Forewords to pedagogical application of PBL --- p.156 / Chapter 7.3.2 --- Sample learning materials --- p.158 / Chapter 7.3.2.1 --- Sample One (lower intermediate to intermediate level) --- p.159 / Chapter 7.3.2.2 --- Sample Two (upper intermediate to advanced level) --- p.165 / Chapter 7.3 --- Conclusion to pedagogical implications --- p.171 / Chapter 7.4 --- An overall conclusion of the present study --- p.173 / Chapter 7.4.1 --- Limitations --- p.173 / Chapter 7.4.2 --- Suggestions for future research --- p.175 / Chapter 7.4.3 --- Author's expectation of PBL on phrasal verb learning --- p.176 / REFERENCES --- p.178 / APPENDICES 1-19 --- p.194

This thesis investigates the second language acquisition of English psych predicates by Chinese-speaking and French-speaking adult learners of English within the Government and Binding Theory. Two major parts comprise the whole work: a study of psych predicates across Chinese, English and French, including verbs like blame and annoy, adjectives such as annoying and annoyed, and nominals like annoyance; and an experiment on Chinese and French learners' knowledge of English psych predicates. / An account of psych predicates is proposed, under which Experiencer Object (EO) verbs are the causatives of Experiencer Subject (ES) verbs, derived by zero affixation. Different D-structures are suggested for the two classes of verbs, solving the linking problem of psych predicates. The binding problem with EO verbs and corresponding -ing adjectives is resolved by the assumption of anaphoric pro, which enables the anaphor to be bound backwards by the antecedent through the extension of chain-binding theory. The Target/Subject Matter (T/SM) restriction is ruled out by a generalization established on the interaction of the zero CAUS and selectional restrictions. / Given the linguistic analysis that EO verbs are made up of a zero CAUS and a root, and the fact that psych adjectives and psych nominals are derived from these verbs, the central hypothesis for the L2 acquisition of English psych predicates hinges on this zero CAUS. It is predicted that if L2 learners of English have difficulty figuring out the causative nature of EO verbs and -ing adjectives, they should have difficulty recognizing the correct argument structure, the ungrammaticality of T/SM violations and the grammaticality of backwards binding with these predicates. A picture identification task, a multiple choice task and a grammaticality judgment and correction task are designed to test L2 learners' knowledge of these properties. The results obtained through the experiment are discussed with respect to the issues in second language acquisition.

Thesis (Ph.D. (English Studies)) -- University of Limpopo, 2019 / The aims of the study were to compare connector use and verb phrase use between two achievement groups. The achievement groups comprised the Highs, students whose essays were highly rated (124 essays; word length 59702), and the Lows, students whose essays were rated poorly (126 essays; word length 60524). The analytical frameworks for the analysis of appropriate use were taken from Biber, Johansson, Leech, Conrad and Finegan (1999).The analytical frameworks for inappropriate use were designed by the researcher. Connectors comprised circumstance adverbials, linking adverbials, co-ordinators and relativisers. Verb phrase uses comprised all the categories described in Biber, et al. (1999). The analysis entailed counting number of occurrences per use for each achievement group and determining whether difference in use was significant or not by undertaking Log Likelihood calculations using Paul Rayson’s Log Likelihood calculator available online. These also indicate the relative frequency of each use. The results for appropriate connector use revealed that although no significant differences occurred with respect to connector categories, highly/significant differences did occur with regard to specific forms. Regarding inappropriate connector use, results showed that differences between the two achievement groups were overall highly significant, with a substantially higher occurrence of inappropriate uses in the Lows compared to the Highs. The results for appropriate verb phrase use revealed highly/significant differences between the Highs and Lows for several verb phrase categories, such as modal auxiliary use and Perfect Aspect. The results for inappropriate verb phrase use, as was the case for inappropriate connector use, showed highly significant differences between the two achievement groups, with the Lows having a much higher incidence of inappropriate uses than the Highs. The study finally considers the pedagogical implications arising from the results and makes suggestions for course design relating to writing instruction.

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