VIETNAM NATIONAT, UNIVERSITY, HANOT UNIVERSITY OF LANGUAGES AND INTERNATIONAL STUDIES FACULTY OF POSTGRADUATE STUDIES som tmnt NGUYEN VAN CUONG ASTUDY ON STRUCTURAL AND SEMANTIC PATTERNS OF WILQUESTIONS IN ENGLISI NGHIÊN CỨU VÉ MÔ HÌNH CÂU TRÚC VÀ NGU NGHIA CUA CAU HOI CÓ TỪ HỘI TRONG TIỆNG ANIT M.A MINOR THESIS Field: English Linguistics Code: 60 22 15 HANOT, 2011 VIETNAM NATIONAL UNIVERSITY, HANOE UNIVERSITY OF LANGUAGES AND INTERNATIONAL STUDIES FACULTY OF POSTGRADUATE STUDIES socalt mac NGUYÊN VĂN CƯƠNG ASTUDY ON STRUCTURAL AND SEMANTIC PATTERNS OF WH-QUESTIONS IN ENGLISH NGHIEN CUT VE MO HINH CAU TRÚC VÀ NGỮ NGHĨA CUA CAU HOT CO TU HOI TRONG TIENG ANH M.A MINOR TIIESIS Field: English Linguistics Code: 60 22 15 Supervisor: Assoc. VO DAI QUANG TIANOI, 2011 ABSTRACT The thesis entitled “A Study on structural and semantic patterns of Wh- guestions in English” is to analyze and illustrate the types of wh-questions and their semantic features. This one is also lo investigate the studcnis' calogoriss of mistakes when using wh-questions, find out the causes, suggest some possible solutions to these matters, and propose several pedagogical implications for the teachers at the research site. ‘Lhis study is divided into three major sections.
The first one sets out the rationale of the study as well as the aims, the methodology and the designof the study. The sccond section contains three chapters. Chapter 1 offers the most relevant factors involving a wh-question such as notions of wh-questions, wh-thetorical qnastions, operators, wh-words and their semantic features relating information structurc, presupposition and theme and theme, Chapter 2 is to desoribe the types of wh-questions based on structures and discourse and the types of presuppositions in wh-questions. Chapler 3 4s the study about the mistakes that the students in Kinh Mon high school often make in using a wh-qusstion.
The data were collected among 100 eleven grade students in Kinh Mon high school by means of questionnaires. ‘The findings highlighted students’ categories of mistakes including wrong use of wh- words, wrong use af operators, nonein crsiom failure and some olher subtypes, Through the findings, the author also assumes some causes of the mistakes and suggests some possible solutions in order to help students avoid committing these types of mistakes. What categories of mistakes do the suidents in Kinh Mon Ligh school afien make in using Eny 3. What should be done to improve the students! skill in using English wh-questions? It is hoped that the findings from this study will be of some bensfits to teachers and students at Kinh Mon high school.
Scope of the study The study on structural and semantic patterns of Wh-questions in English focuses on English wh-questions ftom the perspectives of structural and semantic features. There are two types of wh- questions will be focused: wh-information questions and wierhetorical questions. The author also conducted a questionnaire to find out the mistakes made by Vietnamese students, and from these mistakes, some possible solutions to the problems identified, 5. Methods of the study A combination of different methods of analysis will be used in this study.
Firstly, the author applics the descriptive hod ta find oul the structural and semantic patterns of the English wh-questions. The study is conducted by carcfully collecting materials fiom various sources to have full-blown information of English wh-questions, Secondly, the author designs a questionaire in order to find oul what caleguries of mislakes the sludetnis often make when using wh-questions, The students’ eiors and mistakes will be analized. Ali comments, remarks, recommendations and conchusion are based on the data analysis. The sheets of questionaire will be collecled randomly sa that this rascarch will help ta gain reliable data and a close investigation into the problems that the students are encountering 6.
Design of the study This study is divided into three main parts: - Part | is the Introduction of the study. It includes the rationale for choosing the topic, the aims, the objectives, the scope, the methods and design of the study - Part 2 contains three chapters, in which Chapter 1 provides readers some theoretical background on English questions in general, wh-words and their functions and the vi 3.3, Non-inversion failure - 3o 3. The causes of Viemamese students’ mistakes. Solutions to the problems.
Sunmary of ñnđirgs - - 43 PART 3: CONCLUSION 1. plications of the study for touching English wle-questions. Limitations of the st0dy.2 eeerarir 4, Suggestions for further research, - - 46 REFERENCES: -. 1 vii LIST OF TABLES Table 1: The manber and percentage of each category of mistake Table 2: Number and percentage of mistakes concerning the use of wh-word Table 3: Nismber and percentage of misused operators Table 4: Manber and percentage of inversion mistakes Table 5: Number and percentage af other types of mistakes vi 3.3, Non-inversion failure - 3o 3.
The causes of Viemamese students’ mistakes. Solutions to the problems. Sunmary of ñnđirgs - - 43 PART 3: CONCLUSION 1. plications of the study for touching English wle-questions.
Limitations of the st0dy.2 eeerarir 4, Suggestions for further research, - - 46 REFERENCES: -. What categories of mistakes do the suidents in Kinh Mon Ligh school afien make in using Eny 3. What should be done to improve the students! skill in using English wh-questions? It is hoped that the findings from this study will be of some bensfits to teachers and students at Kinh Mon high school. Scope of the study The study on structural and semantic patterns of Wh-questions in English focuses on English wh-questions ftom the perspectives of structural and semantic features.
There are two types of wh- questions will be focused: wh-information questions and wierhetorical questions. The author also conducted a questionnaire to find out the mistakes made by Vietnamese students, and from these mistakes, some possible solutions to the problems identified, 5. Methods of the study A combination of different methods of analysis will be used in this study. Firstly, the author applics the descriptive hod ta find oul the structural and semantic patterns of the English wh-questions.
The study is conducted by carcfully collecting materials fiom various sources to have full-blown information of English wh-questions, Secondly, the author designs a questionaire in order to find oul what caleguries of mislakes the sludetnis often make when using wh-questions, The students’ eiors and mistakes will be analized. Ali comments, remarks, recommendations and conchusion are based on the data analysis. The sheets of questionaire will be collecled randomly sa that this rascarch will help ta gain reliable data and a close investigation into the problems that the students are encountering 6. Design of the study This study is divided into three main parts: - Part | is the Introduction of the study.
It includes the rationale for choosing the topic, the aims, the objectives, the scope, the methods and design of the study - Part 2 contains three chapters, in which Chapter 1 provides readers some theoretical background on English questions in general, wh-words and their functions and the vii LIST OF TABLES Table 1: The manber and percentage of each category of mistake Table 2: Number and percentage of mistakes concerning the use of wh-word Table 3: Nismber and percentage of misused operators Table 4: Manber and percentage of inversion mistakes Table 5: Number and percentage af other types of mistakes TABLE OF CONTENTS Page Retontơn. Abstract iii Table of contents. List of tables. Aims of the study.
Objectives of the study 4, Scope of the stay. 5, Methods of the study. 6, Design of the Study. esinmnenenmeninnininentiniaieninncanenmnneseete PART 2: DEVELOPMENT.
CHAPTER 1: LHERA TURE REVIKEW.11 Definition of question. Definition of Wh-questions in English in 11.1 Wh-information Question.cccceccececeeenesees LL22 Wh-rbeloricdl Questions. ccc sss sven in nn 1. ch HH HH0 re LBL, Whoword fUtctions.1 Wh-wards as tnterrogative pronouns.2 Whawords as determiners 10 13.3, Whewords as tdverbs.ecc cusses dD 1.4, Given - New Information Structure 12 1.
Theme -Rhcmc Štructiit.3, Non-inversion failure - 3o 3. The causes of Viemamese students’ mistakes. Solutions to the problems. Sunmary of ñnđirgs - - 43 PART 3: CONCLUSION 1.
plications of the study for touching English wle-questions. Limitations of the st0dy.2 eeerarir 4, Suggestions for further research, - - 46 REFERENCES: -. 1 Vietnamese in terms of syntactic, semantic and pragmatic features. specially there is also a PHD diss tation investigating English Wh-queslions.D (2000) looks at contrative analysis of questions in English and Vietnamese in terms of semantic and pragmatic teatures in his PhD project.
Generally, such researchers mentioned above studied English wh- questions from different angles and mostly cither focus on syntactic and scmantic features of English Wh-questions or provide a theoretically general picture of wh-questions between the two languages, English and Vietnamase. However, besides such certain contributions, thers still exist some gaps that need dealing with, ‘There are a lot of aspects concerning English wh-questions, however, in this paper the author would like to devote all my interest in the structural and semantic patterns of Wh- questions in English. Then he would like to investigate the Kinds of mistakes in using wh- questions the students in Kinh Mon High School often make. Basing on the findings, the author can maks some suggestions in order lo help the students lo overcome these difficulties and make questions fiuently 2, Aims of the study ‘The aims of the study are to: ~help raise the students’ awareness of structurat and semantic features of English wh-questions - deepen the author's knowledge for the improvement of teaching English wh-quastions to Vietnamese leamers of English, 3.
Objectives of the study The objectives of the stndy are to : ~ cxamine the structural and scmantic patterns of English Wh-questions. - identity some common exrors and mistakes made by Vietnamese students and present some suggested solutions ‘The objectives of the study can be realized throngh the research questions 1. What are the structural and semantic patterns of English wh-questions? Vietnamese in terms of syntactic, semantic and pragmatic features. specially there is also a PHD diss tation investigating English Wh-queslions.D (2000) looks at contrative analysis of questions in English and Vietnamese in terms of semantic and pragmatic teatures in his PhD project.
Generally, such researchers mentioned above studied English wh- questions from different angles and mostly cither focus on syntactic and scmantic features of English Wh-questions or provide a theoretically general picture of wh-questions between the two languages, English and Vietnamase. However, besides such certain contributions, thers still exist some gaps that need dealing with, ‘There are a lot of aspects concerning English wh-questions, however, in this paper the author would like to devote all my interest in the structural and semantic patterns of Wh- questions in English. Then he would like to investigate the Kinds of mistakes in using wh- questions the students in Kinh Mon High School often make. Basing on the findings, the author can maks some suggestions in order lo help the students lo overcome these difficulties and make questions fiuently 2, Aims of the study ‘The aims of the study are to: ~help raise the students’ awareness of structurat and semantic features of English wh-questions - deepen the author's knowledge for the improvement of teaching English wh-quastions to Vietnamese leamers of English, 3.
Objectives of the study The objectives of the stndy are to : ~ cxamine the structural and scmantic patterns of English Wh-questions. - identity some common exrors and mistakes made by Vietnamese students and present some suggested solutions ‘The objectives of the study can be realized throngh the research questions 1. What are the structural and semantic patterns of English wh-questions? Vietnamese in terms of syntactic, semantic and pragmatic features. specially there is also a PHD diss tation investigating English Wh-queslions.D (2000) looks at contrative analysis of questions in English and Vietnamese in terms of semantic and pragmatic teatures in his PhD project.
