Vietnam national university, Ha noi College of foreign languages Post-graduate department Le Thi Minh Hien A study on English adverbs as modifiers (A contrastive analysis with Vietnamese equivalents) Nghiªn cøu vÒ tr¹ng tõ tiÕng Anh víi chøc n¨ng bæ nghÜa (So s¸nh ®èi chiÕu víi tiÕng ViÖt) M. Minor-Thesis Field: English linguistics Code: 60.15 Hanoi, 2009 LUAN VAN CHAT LUONG download : add luanvanchat@agmail.com iv Table of contents Acknowledgements ii Table of content iii Symbols and abbreviations vii List of table viii Part one: introduction 1 01. Aims of the study 2 03. Scope of the study 2 04.
Method of the study 2 05. Design of the study 3 Part two: investigation 4 Chapter I: theoretical preliminaries 4 I. Definition of adverb 4 I. Features of adverbs 5 I.
The complex/ derived group 5 I. The compound group 6 I. The simple group 6 I. Morphonology of Vietnamese adverbs 7 I.
Classification of adverbs 7 I. Syntactic classification of English adverbs 7 I. Syntactic classification of Vietnamese adverbs 7 I. Semantic classification of English adverbs 8 I.
Circumstantial adverbs 8 LUAN VAN CHAT LUONG download : add luanvanchat@agmail. Adverbs of degree 10 I. Semantic classification of Vietnamese adverbs 10 I. Adverbs of time 10 I.
Adverbs of place 10 I. Adverbs of frequency 10 I. Adverbs of manner 10 I. Adverbs of cause/ reason 11 I.
Adverbs of purpose 11 I. Adverbs of modality 11 I. Adverbs of degree 11 I. Adverbs of conjunction 11 I.
Position classification of English adverbs 11 I. Adverbs of manner 12 I. Adverbs of degree and focusing adverbs 12 I. Adverbs in initial position 13 I.
position classification of Vietnamese adverbs 13 I. Functions of English adverbs 14 I. What is considered to be “modifier”? 14 I. Main functions of adverbs 14 I.
Modifier of verbs 14 I. Modifier of adjectives 15 I. Modifier of other adverbs 15 I. Modifier of nouns/ noun phrases 15 I.
Modifier of participles, prepositions and prepositional phrases 16 LUAN VAN CHAT LUONG download : add luanvanchat@agmail. Modifier of (pre)determiners, cardinal numerals, indefinite pronouns/quantifiers 16 I. Modifier of sentences 16 I. Types of modifiers 17 I.
Descriptive or attitudinal modifiers 18 I. Focusing or reinforcing modifiers 18 I. Adverbs and Adverbials 18 I. What is an adverbial? 18 I.
Units realizing adverbial functions 18 I. Classes of adverbials 19 I. Types of adverbials forming sentence elements 20 I. What is an adjunct? 22 I.
What is a disjunct? 26 I. What is a conjunct? 26 Chapter II: English adverbs as modifiers and their vietnamese equivalents 29 II. Contrastive analysis with teaching and learning of foreign languages 29 II. Modifying function of English adverbs and their Vietnamese equivalents 29 II.
Modifier of adjectives and adverbs 29 II. Modifier of verbs 29 II. Modifier of nouns/ noun phrases 30 II. Modifier of particles, prepositions and prepositional phrases 31 II.
Modifier of (pre)determiners/ cardinal numerals/ indefinite pronouns 31 II. Cases of subjuncts 31 LUAN VAN CHAT LUONG download : add luanvanchat@agmail.com vii II. Modifier of a sentence 31 II. Mobility in positions of English and Vietnamese adverbs 32 II.
Similarities and differences between English adverbs as modifiers and Vietnamese equivalents 33 II. Differences 34 Chapter III: Implications to teaching adverbs as modifiers 35 III. Errors made by Vietnamese learners in using adverb 35 III. An experiment 35 III.
Error analysis 35 III. Errors in confusing adjectives and of adverbs 35 III. Errors in placing adverbs 36 III. Errors in choosing adverbs of degree (=intensifiers) 37 III.
Suggestions for teaching and learning English adverbs as modifier 38 III. To the teachers 38 III. To the student 38 Part three: Conclusion 39 1. Limitations and suggestions for further studies 40 Bibliography x Appendix I LUAN VAN CHAT LUONG download : add luanvanchat@agmail.com viii Symbols and abbreviations A Adverbial Adv Adverb A.P Adverb phrase C Complement C.A Contrastive analysis E End position I Initial M Medial NP Noun phrase O Object S Subject P Predicate V Verb * Unacceptable/ Ungrammatical structures [ ] the number of the example used LUAN VAN CHAT LUONG download : add luanvanchat@agmail.com ix List of table Table 1 Types of Item Subjuncts 21 Table 2 Residue functions 23 Table 3 Types of circumstantial elements 23 Table 4 Correspondence between experiential and interpersonal functions 24 Table 5 Types of adjuncts 25 Table 6 English adverbs of degree and their Vietnamese equivalents 29 Table 7 Types of adverbs modifying verbs and their Vietnamese equivalents 30 LUAN VAN CHAT LUONG download : add luanvanchat@agmail.com Part one Introduction 1.
Rationale So far, English has been widely used as the language of international commerce, popular cultures and the Internet all over the world. It is English that has play an important part in bringing people from different cultures closer with greater mutual understanding. In recent years, in Vietnam, this language has become a compulsory subject in schools, colleges and universities thanks to its importance to the work force in the future. However, in learning process, quite a lot of Vietnamese learners find English grammar, especially the role and position of word classes difficult to master.
This obstacle may partly due to teaching process, lack of practice and sometimes their mother tongue interference. In a try to offer a remedial suggestion to this problem, this topic has been chosen for the three following reasons: - Adverb is one of word classes in English. Nevertheless, it used to be regarded as a “dustbin” word-class since it has a complicated morphological classification as well as a variety of semantic and syntactic functions. However, in theory, adverb will be definitely clarified if the different types of adverbs and their functions are fully focused on in a detailed study.
- Adverb is a language phenomenon, generally found in both English and Vietnamese. Since these two languages originate from different language families, there certainly exist similarities and differences between English and Vietnamese in this linguistic category. As a result, Vietnamese learners of English have great trouble in understanding, identifying and using adverbs in general and their different functions in particular. - It’s commonly believed that contrastive analysis is considered a device for predicting points of difficulty and possible errors that learners will make.
Lado (1957) states: “We can predict and describe the pattern that will cause difficulty by comparing systematically the language and the culture to be learnt with the native language and culture of the learners”. aims of the study: LUAN VAN CHAT LUONG download : add luanvanchat@agmail.com The aims of the study on English adverbs as modifiers in contrast with their Vietnamese equivalents are: - To provide a clear classification on English adverbs in terms of their morphological features as well as their semantic and syntactic functions. - To study the positions and roles of English adverbs as modifiers in relation with other word classes (i.) or other words. - To show the linguistic characteristics of English adverbs in contrast with the Vietnamese equivalents, chiefly basing on the function of modification.
- To find out similarities and differences of adverbs as modifiers in English and Vietnamese. - To suggest some types of exercises and activities on the adverbs as modifiers in English with an aim to help Vietnamese learners avoid errors and negative interference. Scope of the study: This study examines English adverbs as modifiers compared with Vietnamese equivalents to point out the distinctive features of English adverbs and possible difficulties that Vietnamese learners may meet when studying English adverbs. Therefore, attention paid to English will far outweigh to Vietnamese as this study will be used in teaching English adverbs as modifiers to Vietnamese learners.
In general, English adverbs have two syntactic functions: modifiers and adverbials. As the study requires, more focus will be on the modifying function. methods of the study: As the study sets its main objectives of investigating and contrasting the syntactic and semantic functions and the classification of adverbs in general and adverbs as modifiers in particular , in English and Vietnamese, the research method is mainly based on microlinguistic CA. On the basis of CA, an experiment is done on certain obstacles that Vietnamese learners may encounter when learning adverbs.
The data for analysis is based on the experiment and examples are collected from the grammatical materials and reference books written by contemporary English and Vietnamese linguists. The source of materials is taken from English texts in different genres: novels, short stories, books and the like. Design of the study: LUAN VAN CHAT LUONG download : add luanvanchat@agmail.com This study is composed of three parts: Part one, entitled “Introduction” outlines the background of the study. Part two with the title of “Investigation” comprises three chapters: Chapter I discusses the theoretical preliminaries with a focus on the characteristics of the adverbs as modifiers.
Chapter II presents and describes cases of adverbs with the modifying function as compared to Vietnamese translation equivalents. The last chapter shows the findings and implications for teaching and learning English adverbs extracted from the study. Part three is “Conclusion” provides the recapitulation, limitations of the study and suggestions for further studies. The study ends with the “Bibliography”.
LUAN VAN CHAT LUONG download : add luanvanchat@agmail.com Part two investigation Chapter I: theoretical preliminaries I. Definition of the adverb: Like other parts of speech in English grammar, adverb is considered to be basic and complicated one. However, not any satisfactory definitions for adverb have been reached yet. It may due to the fact that many modern grammarians recognize words traditionally grouped together as adverbs to serve a number of different semantic and syntactic functions.
Therefore, each scholar considered them from his own point of view. Briefly, we would like to present some English and Vietnamese linguists’ viewpoints on adverbs and then draw out common ideas about adverbs in English and Vietnamese. David Morley (2000; 40) ‘Traditionally in grammar, adverbs have been seen as performing a so-called modifying role in relation to verbs. This role is associated with circumstantial adverbs, which are single words marking circumstances – how, why, when, where – of the verbal process’.
For instance: [1] He learns English fast. [2] The party is going to take place here. Sharing the same viewpoint, Bergman, Carol Ann (1986) agreed that, “As it is proved that an adjective adds more information to a noun or a pronoun whereas an adverb adds preciseness to a verb, an adjective or another adverb”. That is to say, adverbs take the modifying role of strengthening or weakening the force of those adjectives/ adverbs in: [3] They are extremely happy.
[4] Ann walks rather slowly. Furthermore, an adverb may also modify a noun or pronoun and a sentence, emphasizing or qualifying the statement expressed as in: [5] The rooms upstairs have not been cleaned for ages. [6] He saw an accident and immediately he contacted the police. In short, adverb is a modifying word which gives extra meaning to a verb, an adjective, another adverb, a noun or a pronoun and even a sentence.
They express some additional circumstances attending an action or a quality: time, place or manner of an action, the degree of a quality, etc. LUAN VAN CHAT LUONG download : add luanvanchat@agmail.com Let us change to some Vietnamese researchers’ opinions about adverbs According to Diep Quang Ban (1992; 167), ‚adverb is a supplementary sentence element. Syntactically, it can be one word or co-coordinative or subordinative phrase.‛ As for Hoang Trong Phien (1980; 124), ‚adverb is a supplementary sentence element and it is the most popular one among others, it has the meaning of place, time, reason and purpose.‛ The scope of meaning of adverb as a supplementary sentence element are commonly expressed as followed: a. Time, place: [7] Mïa hÌ n¨m Êy, nhµ t«i chuyÓn vÒ thµnh phè.
- In the summer that year, we moved into the town. Manner: [8] G· nãi víi t«i b»ng giäng mÒm m¹i vµ tr¬n tuån tuét. - He said to me with a soft and very smooth voice. Means, reasons, purpose, .