In the Japanese language, there are various modal elements, which mark speakers' subjective attitudes toward propositions. One of the most common modals is the noda predicate, which possesses the dual function of either asserting the truth of the position or relaying the speaker's desire for information sharing. Japanese Native Speakers (JNSs) use noda frequently in conversation; however, Japanese Language Learners (JLLs) often face difficulty in learning noda because of its wide variety in function and use. To determine the nature of noda use, this study examines conversational data from role-plays and a case study of two JLLs. The main aims of this thesis are 1) to review research on noda and to provide a cohesive and concise explanation of its functions and 2) to examine the use and acquisition of noda by JLLs. Following Noda's (1997) categorization, noda can be divided broadly into two types: scope and mood. Noda of scope exhibits the speaker's assertion that the proposition is true, while noda of mood marks the speaker's strong desire for information to be shared by speaker and hearer. This study proposes a framework with which to understand the functions of noda, and classifies information which is speaker-oriented (+ Speaker/- Hearer knowledge), hearer-oriented (-Speaker/+ Hearer), and shared (+ Speaker/+ Hearer). JLLs first tend to use noda with speaker-oriented information, and later acquire functions related to hearer-oriented and shared information. In the study of role-plays, JLLs with higher oral proficiency levels as rated by the ACTFL-OPI (Oral Proficiency Interview) used a higher frequency of noda. Both the JLLs and JNSs used noda primarily to provide and seek explanations. The intermediate-level JLLs underused noda in providing supplemental explanations. Other uses of noda in the role-plays included emphasizing information, seeking validity, and back-channeling. The two JLLs in the case study did not notice the use of noda during conversations with the JNS, but began to use noda more frequently during practice conversations upon receiving explicit instructions on the use of noda. While the post-test did not demonstrate increased use of noda due to the limited time of this study, there are clear indications for pedagogy. First, because the functions of noda are varied and numerous, Japanese language textbooks and classrooms should not be limited in providing only the 'explanation' function of noda. Second, the frequent use of noda in Japanese conversation suggests that it should be an area of focus in oral practice. Finally, JLLs need to develop skills in both comprehension and production of noda to improve their Japanese discourse. / Arts, Faculty of / Asian Studies, Department of / Graduate

Thesis (M. A. (African Languages) --University of Limpopo,2005 / The study aimsat finding out thecategorical status of copulatives in Northern Sotho. This will be achieved by examining the morphosemantic features of various copulatives. From a morphological perspective, thestudy focuses on the following types ofcopulative verbs: ke, se, ba, le, na, and COP. The study argues that the foresaid copulatives are not particles but are fully-fledged verbs. As far as the semantic nature of the copulatives is concerned, the study discovered a variety of meanings associated with copulatives, such as the following: the identifying, descriptive,locational and associative. Lastly, the study contends that any research on the copulative in Northern Sotho should be a morphosemantic one, as previous studies focused on one and neglected the other.

No description available.

The phrasal verb is defined as a two-word idiom consisting of a verb and an adverbial or prepositional particle (such as put off for delay or come across for find or meet by chance). The increased use of such constructions in written and spoken modes of English has been noted by Kennedy 1920, Traugott 1972, Meyer 1975, and others. The categories of verb combinations that fall under the heading of phrasal verb are various. An analysis of the construction within grammars of English, from the seventeenth century Latinate grammars to the twentieth century linguistic treatments, reveals some inconsistencies in terminology and definition, posing a problem for ESL teachers and text writers. Most treatments of the structure concern surface form (such as Fraser 1976), but some recent analyses, particularly Woody 1974 and Lindner 1981, attempt to account for the semantics of the combination; however, these studies limit the category of phrasal verbs analyzed to verb + adverbial particle. Although the phrasal verb is an example of what Rutherford 1977 terms 'lexical grammar', a grammatical structure that must be taught together with a specific lexicon, an examination of the description of phrasal verbs within ESL grammars reveals a concentration on the syntactical patterning of the structure. Extensive listings of phrasal verbs (along with their meanings and appropriate use) are found mainly in dictionaries of idioms and two-word verbs (such as Meyer 1975, Cowie and Mackin 1976, Hall 1982, and Courtney 1983). This study suggests that ESL specialists consider both syntax and semantics when presenting and describing phrasal verbs and include what Rivers 1978 terms 'three levels of meaning': lexical, structural or grammatical, and socio-cultural. Because of the large number of phrasal verbs, a problem arises concerning which phrasal verbs should be presented formally in the ESL class. The study cites Larsen 1974, Dulay and Burt 1977, and Turano-Perkins 1979, who suggest that frequency of use should be a criterion in determining the order of grammatical structures to be taught. The study suggests that more research is needed in the area of frequency studies.

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

Thesis (M.A. (African Languages)) --University of the North, 1978 / Refer to the document

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?

No description available.

This dissertation describes six syntactic complex predicates in Q'anjob'al (Maya) spoken in Santa Eulalia, Huehuetenango, Guatemala: the Directional Construction (DIRC), Verbal Resultative Predicate (resultative V1V2), Causative Predicate (causative V1V2), Complement-like Predicate (complement-like V1V2), Preverbal Resultative Predicate (R2°P), and Positional Resultative Construction (PRC). They resemble resultatives, serial verbs, and causatives in other languages. The dissertation describes their monoclausal structure, meaning, event and argument structure, and lexical restrictions. These translate into five parameters: (a) they have a single value of time, aspect, modality and polarity, (b) they have a single set of arguments, (c) they have one intonational contour, (d) the elements denote a single event or subparts of a macro event, and (e) the elements minimally involve argument sharing, but could also involve argument fusion, or composition. Q'anjob'al complex predicates have two main features: (a) they are of an asymmetric type in that one element functions as the 'primary' element, and (b) they always have a verbal element (V) with another element that can be verbal or nonverbal (NV). Thus, these complex predicates always have a verbal 'primary' element. Regarding their structure, complex predicates involve four constructions: (a) a nonverbal-verbal construction used by the R2°P and shared by depictives (where it is a non-complex predicate and multi-headed clause), (b) a verb-verb construction used for causative, resultative, and complement-like V1V2s and shared by DIRCs, (c) a verbdirectional construction, a serial verb type, where V is the main verb and DIR corresponds to up to three motion verbs, and (d) a verb-positional construction used by the PRC. In their argument structure, resultatives and causative V1V2s, PRCs, and R2°Ps involve argument fusion, complement-like V1V2s involve raising, and DIRCs may involve argument sharing or fusion depending on the particular type. Regarding event structure, resultative V1V2s, and aspectual DIRCs denote a single event, and other complex predicates denote macro events. Finally, lexical semantics is central for distinguishing complex predicates from each other and from other multi-headed clauses. This dissertation contributes to the documentation of Q'anjob'al and advances the syntactic and semantic analysis of Mayan languages. It also contributes to our understanding of complex predicates through a case study. / text

published_or_final_version / abstract / toc / Linguistics / Master / Master of Philosophy