MINISTRY OF EDUCATION AND TRAINING NGUYEN THI THUY PHENIKAA UNIVERSITY GRADUATION PAPER A STUDY ON ENGLISH ADVERBIAL CLAUSES IN “THE THORN BIRD” WITH REFERENCE TO VIETNAMESE EQUIVALENTS Nghiên cứu về mệnh đề trạng ngữ Tiếng Anh trong tác phẩm “The Thorn Bird” và tương đương trong Tiếng Việt Student: Nguyen Thi Thuy ENGLISH LANGUAGE Student ID No: 20010026 Course: 2020 - 2024 Field: English Language Mode of study: Full-time Supervisor: M.A Nguyen Thi Thuy Linh Ha Noi – 2024 MINISTRY OF EDUCATION AND TRAINING PHENIKAA UNIVERSITY GRADUATION PAPER A STUDY ON ENGLISH ADVERBIAL CLAUSES IN “THE THORN BIRD” WITH REFERENCE TO VIETNAMESE EQUIVALENTS Nghiên cứu về mệnh đề trạng ngữ Tiếng Anh trong tác phẩm “The Thorn Bird” và tương đương trong Tiếng Việt Student: Nguyen Thi Thuy Student ID No: 20010026 Course: 2020 -2024 Field: English Language Mode of study: Full-time Supervisor: M.A Nguyen Thi Thuy Linh Ha Noi – 2024 i ABSTRACT Adverbial clauses, one of the three primary types of subordinate clauses in traditional grammar, exhibit a wide range of meanings and complex structures. They not only modify main clauses but also contribute to enhancing discourse cohesiveness. The research titled “A Study on English Adverbial Clauses in “The Thorn Bird” with Reference to Vietnamese Equivalents” focuses on identifying the syntactic and semantic features of English adverbial clauses in the novel “The Thorn Bird” by Colleen McCullough and relating them to their Vietnamese equivalents. This study employs the comparative, qualitative, and descriptive methods.
The comparative method is used to highlight differences and similarities between English and Vietnamese adverbial clauses. Meanwhile, the qualitative method identifies the syntactic and semantic features of English adverbial clauses and explores their Vietnamese equivalents. Furthermore, the descriptive method provides detailed presentations of these syntactic and semantic features. The practical significance of this research is considerable.
By analyzing adverbial clauses in both English and Vietnamese, the study helps learners gain a deeper understanding of these grammatical structures. These research results can help enhance their English language skills and improve translation abilities between the two languages. ii DECLARATION I, Nguyen Thi Thuy - Student ID No.20010026, certify that no part of the above report has been copied or reproduced by me from any other person’s work without acknowledgment and that the report was originally written by me under the strict guidance of my supervisor. Hanoi, 29th June, 2024 Supervisor Student Ms.
Nguyen Thi Thuy Linh, M. Nguyen Thi Thuy iii ACKNOWLEDGEMENT First and foremost, I would like to sincerely thank Ms. Nguyen Thi Thuy Linh, my research supervisor, for her continuous support, guidance, and encouragement throughout this study. Her insightful feedback and unwavering patience have been invaluable to my growth and success.
I am also grateful to Phenikaa University and the Faculty of English for giving me the opportunity to do this graduation thesis. To my family and friends, thank you for your constant support, encouragement, and understanding during this challenging period. Your belief in me has been a constant source of motivation. Thank you all for making this journey a memorable and rewarding experience.
iv TABLE OF CONTENTS INTRODUCTION. Rationale for the study. Aims and objectives of the study. Scope of the study.
Significance of the study. Methods of the study. Design of the study. 3 CHAPTER 1: LITERATURE REVIEW.
Definition of adverbial clauses. Classification of adverbial clauses. Syntactic features of adverbial clauses. Semantic features of adverbial clauses.
A brief overview of “The Thorn Bird” by Colleen McCullough. Data Collection Process. Selection of Adverbial Clauses. Identification of Vietnamese Equivalents.
15 CHAPTER 3: FINDINGS AND DISCUSSION. Syntactic features of adverbial clauses in “The Thorn Bird” with reference to Vietnamese equivalents. Structure of adverbial clauses. Position of adverbial clauses.
Semantic features of adverbial clauses in “The Thorn Bird” with reference to Vietnamese equivalents. Functions of adverbial clauses of time in English and their Vietnamese equivalents. Functions of adverbial clauses of place in English and their Vietnamese equivalents. Functions of adverbial clauses of manner in English and their Vietnamese equivalents.
Functions of adverbial clauses of condition in English and their Vietnamese equivalents. Functions of adverbial clauses of reason in English and their Vietnamese equivalents. Functions of adverbial clauses of purpose in English and their Vietnamese equivalents. Functions of adverbial clauses of result in English and their Vietnamese equivalents.
Functions of adverbial clauses of concession in English and their Vietnamese equivalents. A comparison between English adverbial clauses in “The Thorn Bird” with reference to Vietnamese equivalents. Syntactic features of English adverbial clauses and their Vietnamese equivalents. Semantic features of English adverbial clauses and their Vietnamese equivalents.
Issues addressed in the study. Implication for English learning and teaching. Implication for translation. ix vii LIST OF TABLES Number of Title of tables Page tables Table 1.1 Common subordinators 9 Table 3.1 Clauses of time with the subordinator After 18 Table 3.2 Clauses of time with the subordinator When 19 Table 3.3 Clauses of time with the subordinator Until 19 Table 3.4 Clauses of time with the subordinator As 20 Table 3.5 Clauses of time with the subordinator Before 20 Table 3.6 Clauses of time with the subordinator Once 21 Table 3.7 Clauses of time with the subordinator Since 22 Table 3.8 Clauses of place with the subordinator Where 23 Table 3.9 Clauses of place with the subordinator Wherever 24 Table 3.10 Clauses of manner with the subordinator As 25 Table 3.11 Clauses of manner with the subordinator As if 25 Table 3.12 Clauses of condition with the subordinator If 26 Table 3.13 Clauses of condition with the subordinator Unless 27 Table 3.14 Clauses of condition with the subordinator As long as 27 Table 3.15 Clauses of reason with the subordinator Because 29 Table 3.16 Clauses of reason with the subordinator As 29 Table 3.17 Clauses of reason with the subordinator Since 30 Table 3.18 Clauses of purpose with the subordinator So that 31 Table 3.19 Clauses of purpose with the subordinator In order to 32 Table 3.20 Clauses of result with the structure So + adjective + that 33 Table 3.21 Clauses of result with the subordinator So 33 Table 3.22 Clauses of result with the subordinator So that 34 Table 3.23 Clauses of concession with the subordinator Though 35 Table 3.24 Clauses of concession with the subordinator Even if 36 Table 3.25 Clauses of concession with the subordinator Even though 36 Table 3.26 English subordinators and their Vietnamese equivalents 44 Table 3.27 Examples of adverb clause positions 46 Table 3.28 Semantic features of adverbial clauses 48 1 INTRODUCTION 1.
Rationale for the study Adverbial clauses are an important aspect of English grammar, thus grammarians from all over the world pay close attention to them. Huddleston and Pullum stated that adverbial clauses provide essential contextual information, enriching the meaning of the main clause and aiding in the coherence and clarity of discourse [1]. Adverbial clauses are crucial for indicating relationships between events and actions, enhancing the descriptive precision and logical flow of sentences [2]. As a result, adverbial clauses are critical to English language proficiency because they allow learners and users to successfully convey meaning, understand complicated texts, and communicate with clarity and accuracy in a variety of situations.
Studying adverbial clauses in a literary work provides a deeper understanding of their syntactic and semantic features in context. However, no research has been conducted in recent years on adverbial clauses in literary works and their Vietnamese equivalents. Especially, there have been no studies on the same topic at Phenikaa University up to now, according to the writer’s knowledge. Thus, this is a research gap for the current study.
The topic “A Study on English Adverbial Clauses in “The Thorn Bird” with Reference to Vietnamese Equivalents” only focuses on the adverbial clauses in the literary work “The Thorn Bird” by Colleen McCullough and their Vietnamese equivalents through the Vietnamese version of translator Pham Manh Hung published in 2001 by The Literature Publishing House. Aims and objectives of the study 2. Aims This study aims to identify the syntactic and semantic features of adverbial clauses in English, which are extracted from the novel “The Thorn Bird” by Colleen McCullough, and relate them with Vietnamese equivalents. The study also 2 aims to point out the similarities and differences between English adverbial clauses in the novel and their Vietnamese equivalents.
Objectives The study is intended to identify: - Syntactic and semantic features of adverbial clauses in the novel “The Thorn Bird” by Colleen McCullough - The Vietnamese equivalents of the English adverbial clauses which are extracted from the novel “The Thorn Bird” by Colleen McCullough - The similarities and differences between English adverbial clauses in the novel “The Thorn Bird” by Colleen McCullough and their Vietnamese equivalents 2. Research questions The study makes an effort to answer the following questions: Q1. What are the syntactic and semantics features of English adverbial clauses in the novel “The Thorn Bird” by Colleen McCullough? Q2. What are the Vietnamese equivalents of the English adverbial clauses in the novel “The Thorn Bird” by Colleen McCullough? Q3.
What are the similarities and differences between English adverbial clauses in the novel “The Thorn Bird” by Colleen McCullough and their Vietnamese equivalents? 3. Scope of the study This study only focuses on identifying syntactic and semantic features of English adverbial clauses in the novel “The Thorn Bird” by Colleen McCullough, then finding out and analyzing their Vietnamese equivalents. The study also points out the similarities and differences between English adverbial clauses in the novel and their Vietnamese equivalents. There are seventy adverbial clauses in Colleen McCullough’s novel “The Thorn Bird”, published in 1977 by Harper and Row used to serve as evidence and examples for this research.
In addition, the Vietnamese equivalents are taken from 3 the Vietnamese version called “Tiếng chim hót trong bụi mận gai” by translator Pham Manh Hung published in 2001 by The Literature Publishing House. The research method that will be applied in this study is the comparative and descriptive method to be able to clearly indicate the syntactic and semantic features of adverbial clauses in the novel “The Thorn Bird”. Significance of the study Theoretically, the study consolidates knowledge about adverbial clauses, including the definition, classification, and especially the syntactic and semantic features of adverbial clauses in the novel “The Thorn Bird”. Practically, the exploitation of adverbial clauses in the novel “The Thorn Bird” helps learners gain a deeper understanding of adverbial clauses, from which they can enhance and improve their English language skills and translation ability from English to Vietnamese and vice versa.
Methods of the study This study uses the following methods: comparative, qualitative, and descriptive. The comparative method demonstrates the similarities and differences between the adverbial clauses in the novel “The Thorn Bird” and their Vietnamese equivalents. The qualitative method is used to identify the syntactic and semantic features of adverbial clauses in English, as well as to explore their equivalence in Vietnamese. Additionally, the descriptive method supports detailed presentations of the syntactic and semantic features of adverbial clauses.
It clarifies differences and similarities in these features between English and Vietnamese adverbial clauses, providing a solid theoretical foundation for comprehensive analysis and comparison in the study. Design of the study This subject consists of three main parts and four chapters. Part A: The Introduction of the reasons, the aims, the research questions, the scope, the methods, and the design of the study. Part B: The investigation that is divided into four chapters 4 The first chapter, “Literature review” provides an overview of English adverbial clauses including definition, classification, semantic and syntactic features.
The second one, “Syntactic features of adverbial clauses in “The Thorn Bird” with reference to Vietnamese equivalents”, focuses on syntactic features and concrete cases of each kind of adverbial clause in the sentence.