i MINISTRY OF EDUCATION AND TRAINING NGUYEN HA TRANG PHENIKAA UNIVERSITY GRADUATION PAPER A STUDY ON ENGLISH PHRASAL VERBS IN THE SERIES ‘ACTIVE SKILLS FOR READING’ WITH REFERENCE TO VIETNAMESE EQUIVALENTS Nghiên cứu về các cụm động từ tiếng Anh trong bộ sách “Active Skills for Reading” và tương đương trong tiếng Việt Student: Nguyen Ha Trang ENGLISH LANGUAGE Student ID No: 20010029 Course: 2020 - 2024 Field: English Language Mode of study: Full-time Supervisor: Nguyen Ngoc Hai, M. Ha Noi – 2024 ii MINISTRY OF EDUCATION AND TRAINING PHENIKAA UNIVERSITY GRADUATION PAPER A STUDY ON ENGLISH PHRASAL VERBS IN THE SERIES ‘ACTIVE SKILLS FOR READING’ WITH REFERENCE TO VIETNAMESE EQUIVALENTS Nghiên cứu về các cụm động từ tiếng Anh trong bộ sách “Active Skills for Reading” và tương đương trong tiếng Việt Student: Nguyen Ha Trang Student ID No: 20010029 Course: 2020 -2024 Field: English Language Mode of study: Full-time Supervisor: Nguyen Ngoc Hai, M. Ha Noi – 2024 i ABSTRACT This thesis examines English phrasal verbs in the "Active Skills for Reading" series and focuses on their Vietnamese equivalents. Phrasal verbs combine verbs with particles like "up" or "down" which change or do not change the meaning of the verbs.
The study compares on how these verbs work in both the English and Vietnamese languages and also focuses on their similarities and differences. It explores the cases in which English and Vietnamese have similar phrasal verbs and in which cases they do not and highlights how this affects the usage of the verbs. The research also discusses how mastering phrasal verbs helps Vietnamese learners of English in learning the language. By analyzing these aspects, the thesis aims to enhance language education and bridge gaps between English and Vietnamese phrasal verb usage.
ii DECLARATION I, Nguyen Ha Trang - 20010029, certify that no part of the above report has been copied or reproduced by me from any other person’s work without acknowledgements and that the report is originally written by me under strict guidance of my supervisor. Hanoi, 1st July, 2024 Supervisor Student M.A Nguyen Ngoc Hai Nguyen Ha Trang iii ACKNOWLEGEMENTS I am deeply grateful to Mr. Nguyen Ngoc Hai for his outstanding guidance and support during the difficult process of writing this thesis. His knowledge and encouragement have been critical in designing my thesis.
Furthermore, I express my sincere gratitude to all those who have gone before and to all the Phenikaa students who enthusiastically participated in the survey and contributed their opinions. Their thoughts and ideas made this thesis much better. Last but not least, I want to thanks my family and friends for their support and encouragement throughout this journey. By the way, I also hope to receive instructions, comments, and criticism from teachers.
Once again, I would like to convey the sincere thanks to Mr. iv TABLE OF CONTENTS INTRODUCTION. Objective of the study. Methods of the study.
Contributions of the study. Structure of the study. Overview of English Phrasal Verbs. Phrasal verbs in the English verb system.
English phrasal verbs. Definition of Phrasal Verbs. Definition of a Particle. Common meanings of several particles in English phrasal verbs.
Position of Particles in English Phrasal verbs. Morphological classification of English Phrasal Verbs. Meaning of English phrasal verbs. Classification of Phrasal Verbs according verb complementation.
Position of Object and Adverbs in Prepositional Verbs. Position of Object and Adverbs in Phrasal Prepositional Verbs. Similar phenomena to English Phrasal Verbs in Vietnamese language. FINDING AND DISCUSSION.
Inventory of list of Phrasal Verbs in the series "Active Skill for reading". Assessment and Categorization of Phrasal Verbs in 'ASFR'. Discussion on the findings. 53 vi LIST OF TABLES Number of tables Title of tables Page Table 1.
Examples of Phrasal verbs 9 Table 1. Vietnamese formal words indicate direction 24 Table 2. Phrasal verbs in the series 'ASFR' 27 vii LIST OF DIAGRAMS Number of Title of diagrams Page diagrams Diagram 2.3 Types of phrasal verbs in 'ASFR' 41 Diagram 2. Meaning of Phrasal verbs in 'ASFR' 43 viii LIST OF PICTURES Number of Title of pictures Page pictures Picture 2.
Series Active Skills for reading 27 ix LIST OF ABBREVIATION Abbreviation Full description ASFR Active skills for reading OI Indirect Object OD Direct Object 1 INTRODUCTION 1. Objective of the study Phrasal verbs have long been considered one of the most distinctive characteristics of the English language, and often posed significant challenges for learners to fully master this type of verbs because of their variety of structures and idiomatic meanings. Phrasal verbs are common in both spoken and written English, they consist of a verb combined with one or more particles including prepositions or adverbs. Mastery of phrasal verbs is crucial for effective communication, as they are ubiquitous in daily conversations, literature, and academic texts.
However, learning phrasal verbs is made more difficult by their dynamic and context-dependent nature, particularly for non-native speakers. This study will analyze English and Vietnamese phrasal verbs, with a particular focus on the English ones. Examining the variety of English phrasal verbs, we discover that they fall into certain categories, particularly transitive and intransitive phrasal verbs. Additionally, the main goal of research is to study the structure, morphology, grammatical properties, and semantic functions of phrasal verbs.
Besides, the study would like to figure out what difficulties English major students at Phenikaa University are dealing with while they learn this type of verbs and the way they overcome them, as well as the students' awareness of phrasal verb structure. Methods of the study Method of Description: This study employs a descriptive approach to analyze English phrasal verbs within the "Active Skills for Reading" series. The method of description involves systematically identifying and documenting phrasal verbs found in the text, noting their context and usage in the sentence. Analysis-Synthesis Method: The analysis-synthesis method is utilized to dissect the identified phrasal verbs, examining their semantic nuances, syntactic structures and usages.
This approach involves breaking down each phrasal verb 2 into its component parts and synthesizing the findings to understand how meanings are constructed and conveyed in the sentence. Compare and Contrast Method: Using a comparative approach, this study compares and contrasts English phrasal verbs with their Vietnamese equivalents. By juxtaposing examples from the "Active Skills for Reading" series with their translations, the research highlights similarities and differences in usage, shedding light on how phrasal verbs are adapted across languages and cultures. Research questions The study aims to answer the following questions: Question 1: What is the role of phrasal verbs in the English verb system? Question 2: How can the subtypes of phrasal verbs be classified based on their structures and semantic functions? Question 3: What are the similarities and differences between English phrasal verbs in the "Active Skills for Reading" series and their Vietnamese equivalents? 4.
Contributions of the study This study has stated to show the below points: a. Identifying the existence of phrasal verbs in the English verb system. Classifying subtypes within phrasal verbs and their structures. Comparing English phrasal verbs in the 'Active skills for Reading' series with some similar phenomena in Vietnamese.
Some recommendations for Learning Phrasal Verbs. The study holds significant implications for the learning of the English language. By analyzing the structure, morphology, and semantic functions of phrasal verbs, as well as the difficulties that students encounter when studying phrasal verbs, this thesis provides valuable insights that can be used to improve English language learning. The study is particularly relevant and helpful to Vietnamese learners, as it can help them address the obstacles and specific needs in mastering phrasal verbs in English.
Overall, the purpose of this research is to 3 enhance instruction in the language by improving the knowledge and usage of phrasal verbs among English learners. Structure of the study This study is divided into 5 main parts: Introduction: Presents the objective of the study, the research questions, research method, the contributions of the study and the structure of the study. Chapter 1 - Literature Review: Provides the definitions, the theory, categories, some similar phenomena in Vietnamese of English Phrasal verbs. Chapter 2 - Research Methodology: Describes the research method and the textbook series and the method to collect and analyze the data.
Chapter 3 - Finding and Discussions: Illustrates the data tabulation and description, data analysis and discussion of the findings. Conclusion: Briefly summarizes the study; besides, some limitations of the study and recommendations for further research are also proposed. LITERATURE REVIEW English phrasal verbs enhance the richness, sophistication, and flexibility of the English verb system. English native speakers employ them extensively in both spoken and written language.
Mastery and fluent use of English phrasal verbs are essential for non-native English learners studying the language. This chapter intends to establish a solid foundation for studying English phrasal verbs by exploring relevant theories, concepts and prior resources in this area. Those theories are considered a piece of background knowledge to discover the syntactic, morphological and semantic features of English phrasal verbs. Overview of English Phrasal Verbs 1.
Phrasal verbs in the English verb system. According to morphological structure, English verbs can be classified into: Simple verbs: Verbs of the English language can be simple ones. For example: to cook, to refuse, to read. Derived verbs: Verbs of the English language can be derived ones.
It means that these verbs have affixes. For example: to dislike (add prefix dis-) to mistake (add prefix mis-) to symbolize (add suffix -ize) Compound verbs: Verbs of the English language can be compound ones. consisting of two stems. For example: to daydream to broadcast 5 Composite verbs: English verbs can be composite ones, which means that these verbs consist of a verb and a postposition of adverbial origin.
The modern term for these verbs is phrasal verbs. English phrasal verbs The postposition often changes the meaning of the verb with which it is associated. The meaning of the composite verbs can be different from the meaning of the components (bring up, do away) or can be the original meaning of the components (stand up, come in, go out, put on). For example: to turn on - to give up to listen to - to look after to catch up with - to put up with According the book 'English Grammar' (1993 - pages 141-145) by Chu Xuan Nguyen, and as asserted by numerous grammarians, it is argued that the combinations "'turn on,' 'give up,' 'catch up with'" constitute a unified category of verbs within the English language.
These combinations are noted for their nuanced meanings and are classified as a specific subtype within the broader English verb system. Here are some examples: (1) Gordon Hayward isn't going to give up his basketball.85] (2) I want to tell them to turn off the cell phone.61] (3) You should focus on comprehending the material.41] (4) At one time, there was a stigma associated with homeschooling because it was traditionally for students who had behavioral or learning difficulties and could not keep up with the rest of the class.217] 6 (5) He was looking at sunspots-areas of the sun that appear darker because they are slightly cooler than the surrounding areas.135] However, there are many opinions about Phrasal verbs. Let's consider the opinions in turn based on the above examples: First opinion: They are verbs with adverbs. At first glance, they are indeed words of prepositional origin.
However, in the above examples, the words "up, off, on, up with, at" have little or no adverbial meaning. They have no meaning of their own when in a compound verb, so they cannot form a phrase. Second opinion: These words are special types of compound verbs. Compound words are formed by combining two root words or morphemes.