This data study concentrates on the past tense marking in the interlanguage (IL) of Chinese speakers of English. Following the assumptions of Hawkins & Lizska, (2003), it is assumed that unlike native speakers of English, Chinese speakers of English have a higher level of optionality within the past tense marking of their grammars. It is claimed that the primary reason for this occurrence is the lack of the functional feature T(ense) [+/-past] in Mandarin Chinese. If a particular functional feature is missing in a learner's L1 grammar, it is thought that it will be absent in one's L2 grammar as well. Three advanced Chinese speakers of English were tested on the past tense marking in their IL production. Both spontaneous oral and reading speech were used for this data analysis.

No description available.

A partir de ocorrências retiradas de textos dos jornais Folha de São Paulo e La Nación, foi possível descrever as condições de uso e os valores semânticos representados pela perífrase [estar + gerúndio/estar + gerundio] com auxiliar em pretérito perfeito simples numa amostra coletada modalidade escrita do português brasileiro e do espanhol platino, na esfera jornalística. Da análise qualitativa e da observação contrastiva entre as perífrases em tempo perfeito, verificaram-se, na amostra coletada, três principais valores imperfectivos, sendo eles o durativo, o iterativo e o destelizador. Os resultados revelaram, ainda, que, entre esses subtipos aspectuais, destaca-se, em ambas as línguas, nas variantes observadas, uma forte tendência à expressão da duratividade de eventos representados simbolicamente como contínuos. Constatou-se, também, que a perífrase perfectiva no PB apresenta um emprego mais restrito, o que se justifica inclusive pela sua maior incompatibilidade com determinadas bases léxicas. Na variedade platina observada, além dos frequentes enunciados de caráter durativo, encontrou-se uma quantidade maior de ocorrências que, em função das características dos lexemas, permitem, com mais frequência, as leituras iterativa e destelizada dos predicados. / From instances of texts taken from the newspapers Folha de Sao Paulo and La Nación, it was possible to describe the conditions of use and the semantic values represented by the periphrasis [estar + gerúndio/estar + gerundio] with auxiliary in simple past tense in a sample collected in the written form of the Brazilian Portuguese and River Plate Spanish, in the journalistic sphere. From the qualitative analysis and contrastive observation between periphrases in perfect tense, in the sample collected, three core imperfect values were identified, they are: the durative, the iterative and the detelizer. The results have also revealed that among these aspectual varieties, a strong tendency towards the expression of durative events represented symbolically as continuous stand out in both languages. It was also found that the perfective periphrasis in BP has a more restricted use, which is justified by its greater incompatibility with certain lexical bases. In the River Plate variety, besides the frequent durative character statements, a greater number of occurrences was found which, due to the characteristics of lexemes, allowing detelized and iterative readings of the predicates more frequently.

Past tense verb production in children with specific language impairment and language-matched children with typical language was compared using language samples and a standardized probe (Rice/Wexler Test of Early Grammatical Impairment). Analyses revealed accuracy and error type differences between elicitation types and groups. Results have important clinical practice implications.

Regular (e.g., jumped) and irregular (e.g., fell) past tense verb acquisition in children with typical language development (TL) occurs between ages 3-5. In children with specific language impairment (SLI), acquisition of these forms is extended and errors in spontaneous conversation may even continue into adulthood. However, there is a lack of consensus as to whether probed or spontaneous language samples give a more accurate representation of a child’s linguistic skills. The first aim of this study was to determine if there were differences in regular and irregular past tense verb production accuracy between two Elicitation Methods: probed vs. spontaneous language sampling. The second aim was to determine if accuracy and error patterns differed between children with SLI and children with TL. The participants included 11 children with SLI (mean age: 5 years) and 20 children with TL (mean age: 3 years 6 months). Each participant received a battery of tests to determine language status. This battery included two elicitation methods for regular and irregular past tense: a probe and a spontaneous language sample. The Rice/Wexler Test of Early Grammatical Impairment probed past tense verb production using picture prompts and a standardized verbal routine. Additionally, a language sample was recorded in which participants told three thematically related stories provided spontaneous productions. The first two stories were read by the examiner first and the child was asked to retell it. The first story was presented in the present tense. The second story was presented in the past tense. The third story was made up by the child based on the pictures and the tense was free to vary. These stories provided the language sample that was then transcribed and coded for a statistical analysis of verb production. Within and between groups ANOVAs revealed statistically significant differences between the probe and spontaneous language samples, with the probe yielding higher accuracy for regular and irregular past tense verb production in both groups. There was no significant Group effect or Group by Elicitation Method interaction. Analysis of the types of errors produced revealed a statistically significant Group by Elicitation Method interaction. Post hoc analysis found for regular past tense verbs, children with SLI produced more stem-form errors than children with TL. For irregular past tense forms, children with SLI produced more stem form errors, while children with TL produce more overregularization errors. The observed pattern of errors is consistent with inclusionary criteria for SLI, the literature, and theoretical foundations. The results add to the literature about the accuracy of probe and spontaneous language sample elicitation methods.

The goal of this work is the study of the alternation between two verb tenses Futuro do Pretérito ( Future of Past Tense) and Pretérito Imperfeito of the Indicativo (Imperfect Tense) in main clauses of hypothetical contexts in the speech of alagoanos (people who live in Alagoas, in the northeast of Brazil). We adopt as the theoretical and methodological framework the theory of Linguistic Variation (LABOV, 1972). The alternation between these two verb tenses becomes possible because of the fact that these tenses share the property to refer to unfinished/unbounded events/actions. What puzzles us is the reason(s) that makes a speaker choose one or another verb tense. We start from the hypothesis that the Imperfect Tense supersedes the Future of Past Tense in main clauses of hypothetical contexts of spoken language. In this dissertation we intend to verify what linguistic and non-linguistic variables are statistically significant in terms of VARBRUL for the dependent variable. For this purpose, we selected as external factors age, gender and educational level; and as internal factors we selected the formal parallelism and the order of the clause. / Conselho Nacional de Desenvolvimento Científico e Tecnológico / O presente trabalho tem como objeto de estudo a variação entre o futuro do pretérito (FP) e o pretérito imperfeito do indicativo (PII) na oração principal em contextos hipotéticos na fala de alagoanos. Seguimos como pressuposto teórico/metodológico o da Teoria da Variação Linguística, representado por William Labov (1972), uma vez que a variação é algo inerente à língua, já que ela é indissociável da comunidade que a fala e não existe comunidade linguística homogênea (BELINE, 2003). A alternância entre os tempos verbais (FP) e (PII) se torna possível pelo fato de esses verbos compartilharem a possibilidade de manifestar traços de aspecto inconcluso. O que nos intriga é (são) o (s) motivo (s) que leva (m) o falante a optar por uma forma ou outra. Partimos da hipótese de que o (PII) suplanta o (FP) na oração principal em contextos hipotéticos, na língua falada. Nesta dissertação buscamos, portanto, verificar quais variáveis linguísticas e não linguísticas são estatisticamente significativas na rodagem do VARBRUL para a variável dependente. Para tanto, selecionamos como fatores externos: a idade, o sexo e a escolaridade; e como fatores internos: o paralelismo formal e a ordem da sentença.

A partir de ocorrências retiradas de textos dos jornais Folha de São Paulo e La Nación, foi possível descrever as condições de uso e os valores semânticos representados pela perífrase [estar + gerúndio/estar + gerundio] com auxiliar em pretérito perfeito simples numa amostra coletada modalidade escrita do português brasileiro e do espanhol platino, na esfera jornalística. Da análise qualitativa e da observação contrastiva entre as perífrases em tempo perfeito, verificaram-se, na amostra coletada, três principais valores imperfectivos, sendo eles o durativo, o iterativo e o destelizador. Os resultados revelaram, ainda, que, entre esses subtipos aspectuais, destaca-se, em ambas as línguas, nas variantes observadas, uma forte tendência à expressão da duratividade de eventos representados simbolicamente como contínuos. Constatou-se, também, que a perífrase perfectiva no PB apresenta um emprego mais restrito, o que se justifica inclusive pela sua maior incompatibilidade com determinadas bases léxicas. Na variedade platina observada, além dos frequentes enunciados de caráter durativo, encontrou-se uma quantidade maior de ocorrências que, em função das características dos lexemas, permitem, com mais frequência, as leituras iterativa e destelizada dos predicados. / From instances of texts taken from the newspapers Folha de Sao Paulo and La Nación, it was possible to describe the conditions of use and the semantic values represented by the periphrasis [estar + gerúndio/estar + gerundio] with auxiliary in simple past tense in a sample collected in the written form of the Brazilian Portuguese and River Plate Spanish, in the journalistic sphere. From the qualitative analysis and contrastive observation between periphrases in perfect tense, in the sample collected, three core imperfect values were identified, they are: the durative, the iterative and the detelizer. The results have also revealed that among these aspectual varieties, a strong tendency towards the expression of durative events represented symbolically as continuous stand out in both languages. It was also found that the perfective periphrasis in BP has a more restricted use, which is justified by its greater incompatibility with certain lexical bases. In the River Plate variety, besides the frequent durative character statements, a greater number of occurrences was found which, due to the characteristics of lexemes, allowing detelized and iterative readings of the predicates more frequently.

Comorian is a Bantu language spoken on the Comoro Islands, a small archipelago between the East African coast and the northern tip of Madagascar. It is usually grouped within the Sabaki languages together with Swahili, Mwani, Elwana, Pokorno and Mijikenda (Nurse & Hinnebusch 1993: 4-19). Internally Comorian is divided into different dialects. In congruence with the four main islands, four dialects of Comorian are usually distinguished in the linguistic literature (Ahmed- Charnanga 1992:13; Nurse & Hinnebusch 1993: 18): Shingazija on the island of Ngazija (Grande Comore), Shimwali on Mwali (Moheli), Shinzwani on Nzwani (Anjouan) and Shimaore on Maore (Mayotte). These four dialects are arranged into two dialect groups (Shingazija/ Shimwali vs. Shinzwani/Shimaore) which are supposed to reflect peculiar linguistic similarities and differences. Although, in general, the greatest morphological differences between the Comorian dialects are within the TAM-markers, the past tense is morphologically quite homogeneous. Therefore dialectal differences do not play a dominant role for the subject of this paper. Two different past tense forms frequently used in everyday speech will be treated here: one morphological simple (one word) form and one compound (two word) form combining the auxiliary -ka (be) with the main verb. They will be discussed first from a formal point of view demonstrating the rules to create the morphosyntactical form. After this they are treated with regard to their semantic contents. The results presented here are based on a one year dialectological research on the Comoro Islands 1996-97. Interviews were made in 56 towns and villages on all four islands of the archipelago.

This thesis investigates three different so-called “past tense forms” in Tulu, a Dravidian language spoken in the south-western Indian states of Karnataka and Kerala. Through fieldwork material collected by the author, this thesis provides a comprehensive analysis of the usage and functions of the three forms in Tulu. It expands upon previous research, which has acknowledged the forms’ existence but not described their functions or provided examples of their usage. Previous research has also often referred to the forms with contradictory names; for example, one form has been called both “immediate past” by one source (Bhat, 1998:166) and “distant past” by another (Krishnamurti, 2003:334), with little explanation of the choice of these labels. In this thesis, they are called Past1, Past2 and Past3 as they all refer to events that have already happened, but the study shows that the distinction between them is one of aspect and validity of results and not of remoteness in tense. The investigation also shows that the three forms have differentiating and contrasting functions and can, in most cases, not be replaced by the others. Past1 is favoured to express perfectivity, event-focused actions, and consecutiveness. Past2 is used for continuous statives, states resulting from past events and events that have happened at least once, as well as introducing a new topic in a narrative. Past3 refers to both punctual or completed events and states that can hold for some time with other events happening in between, and it is commonly used to mark a situation or result not holding anymore. When events in the past are within the same scope, or an event is elaborated upon, the Past3 is also used, as well as when referring to events completed or started before a time reference in the past. The description of these forms' functions will fill a knowledge gap in the description of Tulu, providing a comprehensive understanding of the tense and aspect system in the language. Furthermore, the analysis and data can advance future Tulu and general typological studies about tense and aspect systems. Tulu has several unique features compared to other Dravidian languages. The so-called past tense forms have been claimed as one of them (Subrahmanyam, 1971; Krishnamurti, 2003). By describing them and including a brief comparison with other Dravidian languages, this thesis contributes to understanding the Dravidian language family. It provides material for the study of language change and the family's genealogy. In addition, the data released with the thesis includes sentences from Tulu and basic vocabulary lists from various Dravidian languages that can likewise be used in historical research of the family.

This diploma thesis deals with an analysis of Old Czech poem Tristram and Izalda. The source of the analysed text is the Strahov manuscript dated to 1449, in edition by Zdeňka Tichá. The thesis includes a brief description of the history and origin of the analysed piece in both European and especially Czech literary context. The main focus of this text is the linguistic analysis of selected language phenomena. That comprises of phonological and morphological evolution of most grammar categories of nouns, adjectives and verbs in Czech language. With nouns and adjectives, the thesis focuses on the declination paradigm, specifically on the system of grammatical cases and the animacy of the masculine gender. With verbs, the attention is given to the analysis of the tenses, with emphasis on the simple past tenses. First and foremost, the thesis focuses on the analysis of the aorist and imperfect tense with emphasis on verbal aspect affiliation, from which these tenses are often created. A part of the work is dedicated to the preterite, the compound past tense. Where individual verbal forms are analysed, the main focus is given to the nt- and s- participles, their suffix system and also the connection to the category of verbal aspect. Many distinct examples from the analysed text are provided throughout the thesis, as well as detailed statistic data on the occurrence frequency of selected phenomena