Log in

Relevant bibliographies by topics / English language Grammar, Comparative Sinhalese / Dissertations / Theses

Dissertations / Theses on the topic 'English language Grammar, Comparative Sinhalese'

To see the other types of publications on this topic, follow the link: English language Grammar, Comparative Sinhalese.

Author: Grafiati

Published: 10 December 2022

Last updated: 29 January 2023

Create a spot-on reference in APA, MLA, Chicago, Harvard, and other styles

Select a source type:

Consult the top 50 dissertations / theses for your research on the topic 'English language Grammar, Comparative Sinhalese.'

Next to every source in the list of references, there is an 'Add to bibliography' button. Press on it, and we will generate automatically the bibliographic reference to the chosen work in the citation style you need: APA, MLA, Harvard, Chicago, Vancouver, etc.

You can also download the full text of the academic publication as pdf and read online its abstract whenever available in the metadata.

Browse dissertations / theses on a wide variety of disciplines and organise your bibliography correctly.

1

Boyd, Jeremy Kenyon. "Comparatively speaking a psycholinguistic study of optionality in grammar /." Connect to a 24 p. preview or request complete full text in PDF format. Access restricted to UC campuses, 2007. http://wwwlib.umi.com/cr/ucsd/fullcit?p3273558.

Full text

Abstract:

Thesis (Ph. D.)--University of California, San Diego, 2007.
Title from first page of PDF file (viewed August 31, 2007). Available via ProQuest Digital Dissertations. Vita. Includes bibliographical references (p. 172-181).

APA, Harvard, Vancouver, ISO, and other styles

2

Fischer, Klaus. "Investigations into verb valency : contrasting German and English." Thesis, University of Wales Trinity Saint David, 1995. http://ethos.bl.uk/OrderDetails.do?uin=uk.bl.ethos.683145.

Full text

APA, Harvard, Vancouver, ISO, and other styles

3

Mbeje, Audrey N. "The function of demonstratives in Zulu and English : a contrastive study with pedagogical implications." Virtual Press, 2002. http://liblink.bsu.edu/uhtbin/catkey/1247891.

Full text

APA, Harvard, Vancouver, ISO, and other styles

4

Lee, Seonmi. "Definiteness in Korean." Virtual Press, 1997. http://liblink.bsu.edu/uhtbin/catkey/1063199.

Full text

Abstract:

This study presents a pragmatic approach to the analysis of definiteness. The expression of definiteness in Korean is analyzed as controlled by the pragmatic motivation to differentiate nouns with respect to their topical relevance and importance.The primary claim of this study is that grammar utilizes formal marking systems not only for making semantic contrasts but also for producing pragmatic distinctions. As an illustration of this claim, the marking vs. lack of marking that determine pragmatic status in Korean is examined, and it is argued that the lack of marking indicates the relative lack of special significance of a given referent as a specific individual, while overt marking indicates the relatively higher significance of an intended referent as a specific individual.Definiteness is shown to be non-distinctive and non-categorical in nature, with five expressions of definiteness coding six degrees of definiteness in a definiteness continuum. This is illustrated in the following diagram:Definiteness ContinuumBare NP ---- com ---- etten ---- han ---- ku ---- Bare NPleastmostThe bare NP to the left comprises nonunique common nouns and the one to the right unique common nouns and proper nouns. In each case, the bare form is viewed as representing the referent in its most general use.It is also shown that definiteness and indefiniteness can coincide in the sense that semantically indefinite NPs can be marked formally as definite in certain contexts. This is explained motivated by the pragmatic need for upgrading the degree of definiteness in order to present it as a more prominent or salient entity. With cases in which both semantically definite referents and semantically indefinite referents are formally presented in the same bare NP form as crucial evidence, it is suggested that the realization and expression of definiteness is motivated only when pragmatic significance requires such a distinction. The study concludes that marking and lack of marking of definiteness in Korean does in fact signal the relative pragmatic importance of the referent in the development of the discourse.
Department of English

APA, Harvard, Vancouver, ISO, and other styles

5

Guo, Ling-Yu Tomblin J. Bruce Owen Amanda J. "Acquisition of auxiliary and copula BE in young English-speaking children." [Iowa City, Iowa] : University of Iowa, 2009. http://ir.uiowa.edu/etd/370.

Full text

APA, Harvard, Vancouver, ISO, and other styles

6

Witkowska-Stadnik, Katarzyna Hawkins Bruce Wayne. "Variability in interlanguage as a result of imagery alternatives a case study /." Normal, Ill. Illinois State University, 1991. http://wwwlib.umi.com/cr/ilstu/fullcit?p9219090.

Full text

Abstract:

Thesis (D.A.)--Illinois State University, 1991.
Title from title page screen, viewed January 5, 2006. Dissertation Committee: Bruce Hawkins (chair), Irene Brosnahan, Sandra Metts, Janice Neuleib, Margaret Steffensen. Includes bibliographical references (leaves 180-190) and abstract. Also available in print.

APA, Harvard, Vancouver, ISO, and other styles

7

Chu, Ho-tat Matthew. "Grammar and world-view : a comparative investigation of the syntax of English and Chinese /." Hong Kong : University of Hong Kong, 1997. http://sunzi.lib.hku.hk/hkuto/record.jsp?B18685353.

Full text

APA, Harvard, Vancouver, ISO, and other styles

8

Chu, Ho-tat Matthew, and 朱可達. "Grammar and world-view: a comparative investigation of the syntax of English and Chinese." Thesis, The University of Hong Kong (Pokfulam, Hong Kong), 1997. http://hub.hku.hk/bib/B31951235.

Full text

APA, Harvard, Vancouver, ISO, and other styles

9

So, Lai-yin, and 蘇麗妍. "A study of the nominal and relative clauses in Hong Kong English." Thesis, The University of Hong Kong (Pokfulam, Hong Kong), 2001. http://hub.hku.hk/bib/B31953244.

Full text

APA, Harvard, Vancouver, ISO, and other styles

10

Redd, Nicole. "Automated grammatical tagging of language samples from Spanish-speaking children learning English /." Diss., CLICK HERE for online access, 2006. http://contentdm.lib.byu.edu/ETD/image/etd1276.pdf.

Full text

APA, Harvard, Vancouver, ISO, and other styles

11

Taylor, Joanne M. "Internal generation of the morphological priming effect?" Thesis, National Library of Canada = Bibliothèque nationale du Canada, 2000. http://www.collectionscanada.ca/obj/s4/f2/dsk2/ftp03/MQ59207.pdf.

Full text

APA, Harvard, Vancouver, ISO, and other styles

12

Yu, Kyong-Ae. "A Linguistic study of culture-specific speech acts : politeness in English and Korean." St. Lucia, Qld, 2001. http://www.library.uq.edu.au/pdfserve.php?image=thesisabs/absthe16327.pdf.

Full text

APA, Harvard, Vancouver, ISO, and other styles

13

Shi, Yili. "Referring expressions in Chinese and English discourse." Virtual Press, 1998. http://liblink.bsu.edu/uhtbin/catkey/1117097.

Full text

Abstract:

Noun phrases (NPs) with the same reference may take a number of different forms. For example, in English a particular conference can be referred to as a conference, the conference, that conference, this conference, that, this, or it. This dissertation attempts to account for the use of such referring expressions in Chinese, based on Gundel, Hedberg and Zacharski's (1993) Givenness Hierarchy, and compares the discourse use of Chinese referring expressions with those of English.The Givenness Hierarchy is given below:THE GIVENNESS HIERARCHY:inuniquelytypefocus > activated > familiar > identifiable >referential> identifiable that{it}this{that N}{the N}{indefinite this N}{a N}this NThe Givenness Hierarchy correlates the form of referring expressions with their cognitive statuses, with each status being necessary and sufficient for the appropriate use of a different form or set of forms.The dissertation tests the Givenness Hierarchy to see if it adequately explains the use of referring expressions in Chinese. The data for this study are drawn from spoken and written texts from several different text types (cf. Biber 1986, 1988). The spoken data represent three different speech situations, i.e., face-to-face casual conversations, news broadcasts, and public speeches. The written texts represent different types, including short stories, novels, academic prose, magazine and journal articles, published letters and personal letters. The spoken and written data cover a range of formality and degree of planning.The results of the study show that the Givenness Hierarchy cannot account for the choice of form when two forms meet the sufficient cognitive requirements for appropriate use. More specifically, the Givenness Hierarchy fails to account for choices in Chinese between yi `one' NP and a bare NP when type identifiable is a necessary and sufficient condition for the appropriate use of both, or between nei `that' NP and a bare NP when uniquely identifiable is a necessary and sufficient condition for the appropriate use of both.It is proposed that within the individual categories of the Givenness Hierarchy, further distinction of the degree of discourse salience must be made in order to account for the distribution of Chinese NP forms in discourse. For example, the study shows that nei `that' encodes a uniquely identifiable referent and is used to increase referential salience, while a bare NP encodes a referent of neutral referential salience. Following Givon's (1984) line of research, the use of the numeral yi `one' is to code pragmatically important referents in discourse vs. the use of a bare NP to indicate referentially unimportant referents.To interpret the distribution of referring expressions in Chinese discourse, a number of properties of different expressions have been identified and characterized. The distal demonstrative determiner nei `that' has an associative anaphoric use, encoding an entity whose referent is uniquely identifiable based on what Hawkins (1978, 1991) calls P-sets, association sets. This function of nei as an associative anaphor demonstrates that its deictic function has become weak. In this regard, nei is beginning to function like the English definite article the.The distal demonstrative determiner nei has a recognitional use in talk-ininteraction, to use Schegloff's (1996) terms, negotiating shared knowledge and personal experiences.The demonstrative determiners zhe/na 'this/that' are studied in terms of word order variation. When in postverbal position, they function as definite markers, precluding indefinite interpretation of the postverbal NP. In preverbal position, they tend to increase referential salience of the subject/topic NP.The demonstrative pronouns are compared with the neuter pronoun to `it' and zero when referring to inanimates. The neuter to and zero tend to continue a topic, while demonstrative pronouns are likely to signal topic shift. This distinctive feature is shared by both English and Chinese.In sum, this dissertation contributes to our understanding of the use of referring expressions in both Chinese and English, which should be of interest both to linguists and to language teachers.
Department of English

APA, Harvard, Vancouver, ISO, and other styles

14

Zhang, Min. "A contrastive study of demonstratives in English and Chinese." Virtual Press, 1991. http://liblink.bsu.edu/uhtbin/catkey/774752.

Full text

Abstract:

This dissertation is a contrastive study of the semantics, pragmatics, and discourse functions of demonstratives in English and Chinese.It is shown that there is a metaphorical relationship between the basic semantic properties of demonstratives and their various uses in the two languages. The proximal demonstrative tends to be used for spatial, temporal, or emotional closeness, or for a foregrounded referent, whereas the distal demonstrative is usually used for spatial, temporal, or emotional remoteness, or for a backgrounded referent. However, details of the metaphorical extensions in the two languages may vary. Functional differences between demonstrative pronouns and neuter pronouns in English and Chinese are also discussed. It is shown that demonstrative pronouns tend to code a higher degree of topic discontinuity or topic change, and neuter pronouns a greater degree of topic continuity in the two languages.In addition to contributing to an understanding of the basic factors governing the uses of demonstratives in English and Chinese, which could be used as a basis for further cross linguistic study, this research should also have some pedagogical value for teaching both English and Chinese as foreign languages.
Department of English

APA, Harvard, Vancouver, ISO, and other styles

15

Cheng, Mei-yee Mickey. "The influence of L1 on the acquisition of English passives among Hong Kong secondary school students." Click to view the E-thesis via HKUTO, 2008. http://sunzi.lib.hku.hk/hkuto/record/B40735217.

Full text

APA, Harvard, Vancouver, ISO, and other styles

16

Benom, Carey. "An empirical study of English 'through' : lexical semantics, polysemy, and the correctness fallacy /." view abstract or download file of text, 2007. http://proquest.umi.com/pqdweb?did=1404336481&sid=1&Fmt=2&clientId=11238&RQT=309&VName=PQD.

Full text

Abstract:

Thesis (Ph. D.)--University of Oregon, 2007.
Typescript. Includes vita and abstract. Includes bibliographical references (leaves 342-374). Also available for download via the World Wide Web; free to University of Oregon users.

APA, Harvard, Vancouver, ISO, and other styles

17

Lim, Jayeon. "The developmental process of English simple past and present perfect by adult Korean learners /." view abstract or download file of text, 2003. http://wwwlib.umi.com/cr/uoregon/fullcit?p3080591.

Full text

Abstract:

Thesis (Ph. D.)--University of Oregon, 2003.
Typescript. Includes vita and abstract. Includes bibliographical references (leaves 180-186). Also available for download via the World Wide Web; free to University of Oregon users.

APA, Harvard, Vancouver, ISO, and other styles

18

Kobele, Gregory Michael. "Generating copies an investigation into structural identity in language and grammar /." Diss., Restricted to subscribing institutions, 2006. http://proquest.umi.com/pqdweb?did=1273094861&sid=1&Fmt=2&clientId=1564&RQT=309&VName=PQD.

Full text

APA, Harvard, Vancouver, ISO, and other styles

19

Kilpatrick, Cynthia D. "The acquisition of ungrammaticality learning a subset in L2 phonotactics /." Diss., [La Jolla] : University of California, San Diego, 2009. http://wwwlib.umi.com/cr/ucsd/fullcit?p3369165.

Full text

Abstract:

Thesis (Ph. D.)--University of California, San Diego, 2009.
Title from first page of PDF file (viewed September 16, 2009). Available via ProQuest Digital Dissertations. Vita. Includes bibliographical references (p. 211-225).

APA, Harvard, Vancouver, ISO, and other styles

20

Rothstein, Susan Deborah. "The syntactic forms of predication." Bloomington, IN : Indiana University Linguistics Club, 1985. http://books.google.com/books?id=pWRiAAAAMAAJ.

Full text

APA, Harvard, Vancouver, ISO, and other styles

21

Louhichi, Imed. "The 'motionisation' of verbs : a contrastive study of thinking-for-speaking in English and Tunisian Arabic." Thesis, University of Sussex, 2015. http://sro.sussex.ac.uk/id/eprint/55282/.

Full text

Abstract:

This thesis investigates the idea that the grammatical system of a language influences aspects of thought patterns and communicative behaviour. It examines the linguistic conceptualisation of motion events in English and Tunisian Arabic (TA) in order to contribute to current debates in Second Language Acquisition (SLA) research and its associated field of Teaching English to Speakers of Other Languages (TESOL). The main research questions are whether in learning a typologically different language, the conceptualisation acquired through first languages (L1) interferes with the learning of the conceptualisation inherent in a second language (L2). In order to address these questions, I adopt three analytical frameworks: a grammatical framework based on Talmy's (1985, 2000) binary distinction between verb-framed and satellite-framed languages, a discourse framework based on Berman and Slobin's (1994) application of Talmy's typology to verbal behaviour; and a ‘Whorfian' framework based on Slobin's (1987, 1996b) Thinking-for-Speaking' (TfS) hypothesis. A fundamental claim of the TfS hypothesis is that the grammar of a language and the discourse preferences of its speakers play a fundamental role in shaping linguistic thinking. From this follows the prediction that L1-based conceptualisation resists change when a typologically different L2 is learnt in adulthood. A comparison of the TfS behaviours of speakers of L1-English (L1-Eng), L1-TA, and ‘advanced' L2-English (L2-Eng) whose L1 is TA support this prediction. Based on the notion of ‘motionisation' – a term I coin in order to describe a conceptual strategy L1 speakers of English use when TfS about events – I show that linguistic habits are not only decisive in how the same TfS content is expressed (e.g. run from the jar versus run out of the jar), but more importantly, it is decisive in situations where speakers are ‘forced' to pick out different aspects of the same reality for TfS purposes. The findings reported here have implications for L2 English learners, in general, and, in particular, for learners of English whose L1 may be characterised as a verb-framed language.

APA, Harvard, Vancouver, ISO, and other styles

22

Hobson, Carol Bonnin. "Morphological development in the interlanguage of English learners of Xhosa." Thesis, Rhodes University, 2000. http://hdl.handle.net/10962/d1002630.

Full text

Abstract:

This study investigates the development of morphology in the interlanguage of English learners of Xhosa. A quasi-longitudinal research design is used to trace development in the oral interlanguage of six learners of Xhosa for a period of eight months. The elicitation tasks employed range from fairly unstructured conversation tasks to highly structured sentence-manipulation tasks. The learners have varying levels of competence at the beginning of the study and they are exposed to input mainly in formal contexts of learning. One of the aims of the study is to investigate whether the features of interlanguage identified in other studies appear in the learner language in this study. Most other studies discussed in the literature have investigated the features of the interlanguage produced by learners of analytic and inflectional languages. However, this study analyses the interlanguage of learners of an agglutinative language. Studies of other languages have concluded that learners do not use inflectional or agreement morphology at early stages of development and this conclusion is tested for learners of an agglutinative language in this study. Since agreement and inflectional morphology play a central role in conveying meaning in Xhosa, it is found that learners use morphology from the beginning of the learning process. Although forms may be used incorrectly and the functions of forms may be restricted, morphemes appear in the interlanguage of learners of this study earlier than other studies predict. One of the characteristics of early interlanguage and an early form of learner language called the Basic Variety (Klein & Perdue 1997) is the lack of morphology, but this feature proves to be inadequate as a measure of early development in the interlanguage of learners of a language such as Xhosa. This study concludes, therefore, that the presence of morphology in the interlanguage of learners of Xhosa cannot be an indicator of advanced language development.

APA, Harvard, Vancouver, ISO, and other styles

23

Wang, Xiao. "Chinese-American college writers' texts and their cultural values." Virtual Press, 1998. http://liblink.bsu.edu/uhtbin/catkey/1115722.

Full text

Abstract:

The purpose of the study was to determine the "interlanguage" characteristics in Chinese-American college writers' texts. Also, the study sought to determine the connections between their "interlanguage" characteristics at the syntactic and discourse levels and their cultural values and linguistic backgrounds. The population of the study consisted of 3 randomly selected Chinese-American students who have taken freshman writing classes at UCLA.The methods employed in this case study were context-sensitive textual analysis and qualitative techniques. In the context-sensitive analysis, twenty-four academic papers by these students were analyzed from four angles--error analysis, syntactic fluency analysis, cohesive ties analysis, syntactic construction analysis, and discourse organization pattern analysis. In the use of qualitative techniques, twenty-seven interviews were carried out, two recordings of family dinner and party were analyzed, and answers to questionnaires were studied.Findings support the hypothesis of the study--there are characteristic features in the texts by Chinese-American writers, and these characteristics at both syntactic and discourse levels have correlations to their linguistic background and cultural values. At the discourse level, the essay organization in these students' essays tends to follow an indirect pattern as Kaplan has claimed in his 1966's study. At the syntactic level, thekinds of errors occurring in these students' texts are the same as ESL Chinese students' errors, which supports the research findings by Zhu Hong, Hu, and other ESL researchers. Thus, the study has made two-fold connections--between Chinese-American college writers' texts and their cultural and contextual backgrounds and between ESL studies and composition studies.The implications of the research findings for the teaching of basic writing and future research in the field are discussed in the last chapter to enhance Chinese-American students' as well as their writing teachers' awareness of their writing characteristics and of connections between their cultural values and linguistic background.
Department of English

APA, Harvard, Vancouver, ISO, and other styles

24

Kanda, Kosuke. "Effects of the First Language on Japanese ESL Learners' Answers to Negative Questions." PDXScholar, 2014. https://pdxscholar.library.pdx.edu/open_access_etds/1704.

Full text

Abstract:

This study investigates how Japanese learners of English respond to English negative questions. Previous research has reported that Japanese learners of English make errors in yes/no responses to English negative questions due to the first language (L1) influence (Kang & Lim-chang, 1998; Takashima, 1989). From the perspective of L1 influence, there are two learning pitfalls: different functions of the yes/no response and different interpretations of negative questions. Both of these influences were examined in this study. This study involved 8 Japanese learners of English, 4 females and 4 males, attending Portland State University (PSU). In order to elicit data that reflect the effect of Japanese English Language Teaching (ELT), the subjects were chosen so that at the time of data elicitation, they had less than 6 months of experience in an English-speaking environment. In addition, all the participants had English instruction in Japan at least through high school. In order to see how the L1 influenced their yes/no answers to negative questions, I used two data elicitation methods: an oral interview with a native speaker and a retrospective protocol analysis of the interview. The results indicated the following: First, the participants appeared to respond to English negative questions fairly consistently with the English norm. Deviation was observed only when a negative question had a negative expected answer. Particularly, the stronger the expectation for a negative answer was, the more likely it was that the negative question elicited an incorrect yes/no response. Secondly, the participants interpreted the polarity of the expected answer based on the Japanese norm. With the help of context, they usually interpreted the stimulus sentence correctly. However, when an expected answer was ambiguous for any reason, the participants interpreted the stimulus sentence as having a negative expected answer, which is the default interpretation for Japanese negative questions. This study shows that the influence of the L1 on answers to negative questions requires complex analysis. That is, superficially the participants appeared to answer questions correctly, but a deeper analysis revealed that they still relied on an L1 interpretation norm.

APA, Harvard, Vancouver, ISO, and other styles

25

Wynne, Terence Stewart. "The present perfect : a corpus-based investigation." Thesis, University of Stirling, 2000. http://hdl.handle.net/1893/3472.

Full text

Abstract:

On the basis of an investigation of a corpus of 5.5 million words, this thesis analyses the use of the present perfect in modem American and British English. The investigation traces the development of the present perfect from its origins as a structure with adjectival meaning to its modern-day use as an aspectual verb form. A frequency analysis tests the claims of various writers that the present perfect is losing ground against the preterite and is less frequent in American than in British English. Neither claim is supported by the results of this analysis. A temporal specifier analysis investigates the co-occurrence of a large number of adverbials with the various verb forms. It finds that certain groups of specifiers which have hitherto been considered markers for the present perfect are in fact very poor indicators. Specifiers indicating a period of time lasting up to the moment of utterance, however, are found to be very reliable indicators. With one exception no significant difference was found between the British and American corpora in this respect. A functional-semantic analysis examines the various theories of the present perfect against the background of the results of the empirical investigation and finds them to be insufficient in one or more respects. In the final chapter the division between tense and aspect is shown to be artificial and a model of the present perfect is presented which is based on the idea of multilayered aspectual values. The model is centred on the unifying concept of phragmatisation - the closing of the event time-frame. According to this model, discourse topics involving the present perfect are perceived to describe an event which takes place in a time frame which is not closed to the deictic zero point at the moment of utterance. The final section describes which factors are operative in the phragmatisation or closing of event time frames.

APA, Harvard, Vancouver, ISO, and other styles

26

Montrul, Silvina A. "Transitivity alternations in second language acquisition : a crosslinguistic study of English, Spanish and Turkish." Thesis, National Library of Canada = Bibliothèque nationale du Canada, 1997. http://www.collectionscanada.ca/obj/s4/f2/dsk2/ftp03/NQ44520.pdf.

Full text

APA, Harvard, Vancouver, ISO, and other styles

27

Qin, Chuan. "The perception and production of English vowel contrasts by Vietnamese speakers." HKBU Institutional Repository, 2010. http://repository.hkbu.edu.hk/etd_ra/1207.

Full text

APA, Harvard, Vancouver, ISO, and other styles

28

Gustin, Edward Louis. "A semantic analysis of 'get' and its acquisition by students of English in Macau : a cognitive approach." Thesis, University of Macau, 2012. http://umaclib3.umac.mo/record=b2586626.

Full text

APA, Harvard, Vancouver, ISO, and other styles

29

Zhang, Jun. "Scope interaction between universal quantifiers and sentential negation in non-native English : the roles of UG and L1 grammar in L2 acquisition." HKBU Institutional Repository, 2013. http://repository.hkbu.edu.hk/etd_ra/1521.

Full text

APA, Harvard, Vancouver, ISO, and other styles

30

Shaer, Benjamin M. "Making sense of tense : tense, time reference, and linking theory." Thesis, McGill University, 1996. http://digitool.Library.McGill.CA:80/R/?func=dbin-jump-full&object_id=34452.

Full text

Abstract:

This study examines the forms and meanings of tensed and non-tensed clauses in English, and proposes an analysis of them that is 'Reichenbachian' in spirit and syntactic in orientation. The study considers tensed verb forms in simple sentences, focussing on 'present', 'future', and 'perfect' forms and their interaction with adverbials of temporal location; and those in complement, relative, and temporal clause constructions. It also considers three types of non-tensed verb forms--infinitives, gerunds, and 'bare infinitives'--in verb complements.
The study demonstrates that the interpretation of tensed and non-tensed forms can be described in terms of Reichenbach's (1947) temporal schemata, which express relations between 'S' ('speech time'), 'R' ('reference time'), and 'E' ('situation time'). However, its central claim is that the tensed forms themselves are 'temporally underspecified', encoding relations between 'S' and 'R', and leaving the relation between 'R' and 'E' and the location and duration of both of these intervals to be determined by lexical properties of the verb and its arguments, temporal adverbials, and context. Non-tensed verbs forms have a similar syntactic representation, differing primarily in not fully encoding a relation between 'S' and 'R'. This claim is cashed out in terms of two devices: a feature system that expresses tenses as particular values of the feature matrix (Anterior, Posterior); and a device of 'tense linking', based on Higginbotham's (e.g. 1983) proposal for binding theory, which associates verbs with temporal adverbials or tensed Infl, and one (tensed or non-tensed) Infl with a higher one.

APA, Harvard, Vancouver, ISO, and other styles

31

Aloufi, Aliaa. "The phonology of English loanwords in UHA." Thesis, University of Sussex, 2017. http://sro.sussex.ac.uk/id/eprint/67766/.

Full text

Abstract:

This thesis investigates the phonology of loanword adaptation focusing on English loanwords in Urban Hijazi Arabic (UHA). It investigates the segmental adaptations of English consonants that are absent in UHA as well as the various phonological adaptations of illicit syllabic structures. It is based on dataset of around 100 English loanwords that were integrated into UHA that contain several illicit consonants and syllable structures in the donor language. This dataset is compiled from different published sources along with a data collection exercise. The first significant source is Abdul-Rahim (2011) a dictionary of loanwords into Arabic, while the other one is Jarrah's (2013) study of English loanwords into Madinah Hijazi Arabic (MHA) adopting the on-line adaptation. The third source is original pronunciation data collected from current UHA speakers. Furthermore, the Oxford English Dictionary (OED) was consulted for the etymology and transcription of the English words. The goal is to provide a thorough analysis of these phonological patterns whether consonantal or syllabic ones found in the adaptation of English loanwords into UHA. To accomplish this, the adaptations have been analysed according to two theoretical frameworks: the Theory of Constraints and Repair Strategies Loanword Model (TCRSLM) proposed by Paradis and LaCharité (1997) and Optimality Theory (OT) introduced by Prince and Smolensky (1993). The different proposed analyses in this study facilitated an evaluation of the adequacy of each of these theories in accounting for the discussed phonological patterns found in UHA loan phonology. The thesis concludes that OT better explains the adaptations, but neither theory fully accounts for the variety of adaptations found in UHA.

APA, Harvard, Vancouver, ISO, and other styles

32

Ho, Victor Chung Kwong. "Making requests : how Cantonese speakers of English demonstrate politeness." HKBU Institutional Repository, 2003. http://repository.hkbu.edu.hk/etd_ra/499.

Full text

APA, Harvard, Vancouver, ISO, and other styles

33

McCarthy, Corrine Lee. "Morphological variability in second language Spanish." Thesis, McGill University, 2007. http://digitool.Library.McGill.CA:80/R/?func=dbin-jump-full&object_id=102837.

Full text

Abstract:

Research on morphological variability in second language (L2) acquisition has focused on the syntactic consequences of variability: that is, whether or not morphological variability entails underlying syntactic deficits. The interrelationship between morphological features in their own right has been largely ignored. This thesis addresses the representation of L2 features by investigating the use of default morphology---the outcome of systematic substitution errors employed by speakers of L2 Spanish. It is hypothesized that underspecified features act as defaults; by assumption, those features that are unmarked are underspecified.
Evidence to support this hypothesis comes from two sets of experiments conducted on intermediate- and advanced-proficiency L2 Spanish subjects (L1 English). The first set of experiments addresses verbal morphology, and consists of a spontaneous production experiment on person, number, tense, and finiteness, and a comprehension task on person and number. The second set of experiments addresses gender and number in nominal morphology, and consists of a spontaneous production experiment on determiners, an elicited production experiment on clitics and adjectives, and a picture-selection task on the comprehension of clitics. Across tasks and across verbal and nominal domains, errors involve the systematic substitution of underspecified morphology. The observation that morphological variability extends to comprehension, and is qualitatively similar to the variability found in production, counters the suggestion that variability is strictly a product of mere performance limitations on production. Finally, the systematicity of substitution errors suggests that the natural classes of features such as gender, number, tense, and person are acquirable in an L2, regardless of whether or not these features have been instantiated in the native language.

APA, Harvard, Vancouver, ISO, and other styles

34

Ming, Tao. "The acquisition of temporal marking a bidirectional study /." Diss., Restricted to subscribing institutions, 2008. http://proquest.umi.com/pqdweb?did=1619405921&sid=2&Fmt=2&clientId=1564&RQT=309&VName=PQD.

Full text

APA, Harvard, Vancouver, ISO, and other styles

35

鄭美儀 and Mei-yee Mickey Cheng. "The influence of L1 on the acquisition of English passives among Hong Kong secondary school students." Thesis, The University of Hong Kong (Pokfulam, Hong Kong), 2008. http://hub.hku.hk/bib/B40735217.

Full text

APA, Harvard, Vancouver, ISO, and other styles

36

Kovitz, David Immanuel. "Looking into phrasal verbs." CSUSB ScholarWorks, 2003. https://scholarworks.lib.csusb.edu/etd-project/2362.

Full text

Abstract:

The phrasal verb is a unique type of verb phrase that consists of a main verb, usually of only one or two syllables, followed by a particle, that works as a single semantic unit. Such meaning, however, is characteristically expressed in idomatic terms, which poses a formidable problem for students of English as a second language. To be understood, this meaning must be figuratively interpreted as well as literally translated.

APA, Harvard, Vancouver, ISO, and other styles

37

Ding, Dan Xiong Rutter Russell. "Historical and social contexts for scientific writing and use of passive voice toward an undergraduate science literacy course /." Normal, Ill. Illinois State University, 1998. http://wwwlib.umi.com/cr/ilstu/fullcit?p9835902.

Full text

Abstract:

Thesis (Ph. D.)--Illinois State University, 1998.
Title from title page screen, viewed July 3, 2006. Dissertation Committee: Russell K. Rutter (chair), James R. Kalmbach, Dana K. Harrington. Includes bibliographical references (leaves 233-248) and abstract. Also available in print.

APA, Harvard, Vancouver, ISO, and other styles

38

Chan, Mei-kuen Elaine. "Expression of modality in the language of the mass media." Hong Kong : University of Hong Kong, 1999. http://sunzi.lib.hku.hk/hkuto/record.jsp?B21160375.

Full text

APA, Harvard, Vancouver, ISO, and other styles

39

Guthrie, Anna Marie. "Quotative tense shift in American English authority-encounter narratives." CSUSB ScholarWorks, 1994. https://scholarworks.lib.csusb.edu/etd-project/916.

Full text

APA, Harvard, Vancouver, ISO, and other styles

40

Yom, Haeng-Il. "Topic-comment structure : a contrastive study of simultanious interpretation from Korean into English /." Access Digital Full Text version, 1993. http://pocketknowledge.tc.columbia.edu/home.php/bybib/1154711x.

Full text

Abstract:

Thesis (Ed.D.)--Teachers College, Columbia University, 1993.
Includes tables. Typescript; issued also on microfilm. Sponsor: Clifford Hill. Dissertation Committee: Jo Anne Kleifgen. Includes bibliographical references (leaves 152-157).

APA, Harvard, Vancouver, ISO, and other styles

41

Phillips, Jacquelyn Louise. "Sentence complexity and variation in school texts /." [St. Lucia, Qld.], 2005. http://www.library.uq.edu.au/pdfserve.php?image=thesisabs/absthe18878.pdf.

Full text

APA, Harvard, Vancouver, ISO, and other styles

42

Huang, Jianqiao Caroline, and 黃劍橋. "Is the overt pronoun constraint learnable?" Thesis, The University of Hong Kong (Pokfulam, Hong Kong), 2014. http://hdl.handle.net/10722/212621.

Full text

Abstract:

Studies on implicit learning have provided evidence for L2 acquisition of syntactic features, yet limited effort has been made to gauge the applicability of the implicit learning paradigm on syntactic structures that are posited by nativists as innate and need not to be learned. This thesis investigates the implicit learning of the Overt Pronoun Constraint(OPC), a claimed UG-derived constraint (White, 2003a,b; Hawkins, 2008)that prevents overt pronouns from taking quantified NPs as antecedents in null-argument languages(Montalbetti, 1983), and seeks alternative explanations to such knowledge from the usage-based perspective in SLA. In Experiment 1, participants’L1 prior knowledge of the binding constraint of the overt pronoun he in Mandarin Chinese and English was investigated respectively. Results show that Chinese participants accepted the bound variable interpretation of the pronoun他 (he) when the matrix subject (the subject of the main clause) was 有人someone, suggesting that the OPC may not be fully applicable in Chinese, and that the OPC may not be a universal phenomenon in all null-argument languages as claimed by nativists (e.g. Kanno, 1997). In terms of English participants, they rejected bound variable interpretations more often when the matrix subject of the sentence was a quantified NP than when it was a referring NP, indicating some biases of the interpretation towards the reference of the overt pronoun. Potential explanations for these cross-linguistic differences include the popularized use of singular they in English (Bhat, 2004) to refer to gender-ambiguous antecedents, and the degree of consistency in definiteness between the matrix subject and the pronoun as the sub-clause subject. In Experiment 2, Chinese L1 speakers were exposed to a semi-artificial language system that combined the binding constraint of the Japanese pronoun “kare” with Chinese to see whether they could acquire the OPC implicitly. The learning was measured by a timed Grammatical Judgment Test (GJT), and awareness was assessed by confidence ratings, source attributions and verbal reports. Results show that learning effect (both implicit and explicit) was observed in the Chinese group. In Experiment 3, Chinese participants were exposed to a semi-artificial language system that combined the overt pronoun binding constraint with their L2 English, and no learning effect was observed in this group, indicating that implicit learning could be affected by participants’L2 proficiency. In Experiment 4, the implicit learning of the pronoun constraint by English native speakers was investigated and L1 transfer effect was found in this experiment. To sum up, results show that the interpretation bias of the overt pronoun might be learned implicitly, although the learning process could be affected by participants’ prior linguistic knowledge. It also suggests that this bias might be learned without the assumption of UG existence, which show support for the usage-based approach in SLA.
published_or_final_version
English
Master
Master of Philosophy

APA, Harvard, Vancouver, ISO, and other styles

43

Waltmunson, Jeremy C. "The relative degree of difficulty of L2 Spanish /d, t/, trill, and tap by L1 English speakers : auditory and acoustic methods of defining pronunciation accuracy /." Thesis, Connect to this title online; UW restricted, 2005. http://hdl.handle.net/1773/8373.

Full text

APA, Harvard, Vancouver, ISO, and other styles

44

Flahive, Patrick J. "Past tense marking in Chinese-English interlanguage." Thesis, University of North Texas, 2004. https://digital.library.unt.edu/ark:/67531/metadc4664/.

Full text

Abstract:

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.

APA, Harvard, Vancouver, ISO, and other styles

45

Toyota, Junichi. "Diachronic change in the English passive /." Basingstoke : Palgrave Macmillan, 2008. http://opac.nebis.ch/cgi-bin/showAbstract.pl?u20=9780230553453.

Full text

APA, Harvard, Vancouver, ISO, and other styles

46

Davis, Henry. "The acquisition of the English auxiliary system and its relation to linguistic theory." Thesis, University of British Columbia, 1987. http://hdl.handle.net/2429/26987.

Full text

Abstract:

This thesis explores the connection between linguistic theory, as embodied in a version of the Government - Binding (GB) model of syntax, and the parameter-setting theory of language acquisition. In Chapter 2, it is argued that by incorporating the criterion of epistemological priority, syntactic theory can move closer towards becoming a plausible model of language acquisition. A version of GB theory is developed which adopts this criterion, leading to several modifications, including the derivation of X-bar theory from more "primitive" grammatical sub-components, and a revision of the Projection Principle. This model is converted into a procedure for phrase-structure acquisition, employing sets of Canonical Government Configurations and Percolation Principles to map Case- and θ-relations onto phrase-structure trees. The chapter ends with a discussion of the "missing-subject" stage in the acquisition of English. Chapter 3 concerns auxiliaries. It is argued that parametric variation in auxiliary systems can be reduced to levels of association between INFL and V. The question of irregularity is dealt with through the Designation Convention of Emonds (1985), which makes a distinction between open- and closed- class grammatical elements, and a Parallel Distributed Processing model of learning. The last part of the chapter investigates the learning of the English auxiliary system, and in particular the errors known as "auxiliary overmarking". Chapter 4 investigates the syntax of Subject Auxiliary Inversion (SAI)-type rules. An account of inversion is developed based on the theory of predication, in which inversion-inducing elements are treated as "A'-type" subjects which must be linked to AGR in order to satisfy conditions on Predicate-licensing. A parametrization is developed based on the cross-linguistic examination of SAI-type rules. Chapter 5 concerns the acquisition of SAI. It is argued that there are no invariant "stages" in the development of inversion; rather, a proportion of children misanalyze (WH + contracted auxiliary) sequences as (WH + AGR-clitic) sequences and formulate grammars in which SAI is unnecessary. A "two-tiered" theory of syntactic acquisition is proposed to account for the observed developmental patterns.
Arts, Faculty of
Linguistics, Department of
Graduate

APA, Harvard, Vancouver, ISO, and other styles

47

Auer, Anita. "The subjunctive in the age of prescriptivism : English and German developments during the eighteenth century /." Basingstoke : Palgrave Macmillan, 2009. http://opac.nebis.ch/cgi-bin/showAbstract.pl?u20=9780230574410.

Full text

APA, Harvard, Vancouver, ISO, and other styles

48

Ihsan, Diemroh. "A linguistic study of tense shifts in Indonesian-English interlanguage autobiographical discourse." Virtual Press, 1988. http://liblink.bsu.edu/uhtbin/catkey/558344.

Full text

Abstract:

The purpose of the study was two-fold. First, it investigated, described, and analyzed tense shifts and the roles of the present tense forms in IEIL autobiographical discourse. Second, as a contribution to the study of English interlanguage of Indonesian EFL learners it presents some pedagogical implications for the EFL teaching and learning in Indonesia and offers suggestions for further research. The data used for the study were twenty-six essays containing 1700 verb phrases in 937 sentences, which were written by twenty-six freshman EFL learners of the University of Sriwijaya in Palembang, Indonesia, in 1986.The results of the study show that tense use in IEIL is systematic, on one hand, and variable, on the other. Shifts of tense from past to present are generally predictable. The present tense usually functions to present the writer's evaluation or opinion, habitual occurrences, general truth, or factual descriptions functioning as permanent truth in relation to the writer's childhood. Occasionally, the present tense functions as the Historical Present to narrate past events. The past tense, on the other hand, usually functions to describe past truth and, at times, to narrate historical events such as the writer's date and place of birth.Variability also characterizes IEIL autobiographical discourse. That is, IEIL writers do not completely follow the present and past tense rules. For instance, they usually use the present tense to express habitual occurrences, but at other times they use past tense accompanied by such expressions as "on Sundays," "on holidays," "whenever," etc.In addition, the following conclusions have been drawn: (1) IEIL autobiographical discourse largely contains description expressed in the past tense; (2) discourses are highly recommended to be used as the first material in teaching linguistic phenomena such as tense shifts to Indonesian EFL learners; and (3) following the IL theory and principles, EFL teachers should not treat EFL learner's should treat them as a sign that they are in fact in the process of learning.deviants as a sign of improper usage and harmful but instead should treat them as a sign that they are in fact in the process of learning.
Department of English

APA, Harvard, Vancouver, ISO, and other styles

49

Chan, Mei-kuen Elaine, and 陳美娟. "Expression of modality in the language of the mass media." Thesis, The University of Hong Kong (Pokfulam, Hong Kong), 1999. http://hub.hku.hk/bib/B31951831.

Full text

APA, Harvard, Vancouver, ISO, and other styles

50

Mead, Jonathan Tufts. "Argument structure and the interpretation of deverbal compounds." Thesis, McGill University, 1988. http://digitool.Library.McGill.CA:80/R/?func=dbin-jump-full&object_id=64082.

Full text

APA, Harvard, Vancouver, ISO, and other styles

We offer discounts on all premium plans for authors whose works are included in thematic literature selections. Contact us to get a unique promo code!