Search

This article aims to discuss and rationalize two arguments. Argument 1: The relationships between verbal word components (and thus between each verbal word form) constitute a hierarchy. Argument 2: Verbal word components (and thus each verbal word form) interact with each other. On the basis of the theoretical conclusions reached the article also proposes an analysis of the categories aspect, tense, and mood of the Russian verb. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study analyses the semantic component of English phrasal verbs, that is, lexicalized combinations of a verb and a particle which function semantically and syntactically as a single unit, but to varying degrees. More specifically the investigation focuses on how these structures have developed non-compositional readings over time, given that such meanings were not available in the early stages of the language. In the light of data from the Helsinki Corpus, ARCHER 1 and the Corpus of Late Modern English Texts Extended Version, different types of semantic change are described, changes by which means phrasal verbs have developed non-transparent meanings, including several forms of metaphorization, the addition of aspectual/aktionsart particles, specialization, reduction, creation of brand new combinations and changes in the real world. After this, the question of whether phrasal verbs have undergone a process of idiomatization is discussed. The main conclusion is that if idiomatization is understood as a semantic process which occurs within lexicalization and/or grammaticalization and causes the obscuration of meanings of combinations, then it can be maintained that phrasal verbs have undergone idiomatization. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Smith and her followers assume that the imperfective markers in several languages can focus on the resultant stage of a situation depicted by a certain class of verbs and yield the so-called resultative reading. This paper tries to prove that the English imperfective marker is fundamentally different from, for example, the imperfective marker -te-iru in Japanese. The difference is that while the Japanese imperfective marker does focus on the resultant stage by triggering the resultant state reading, the English imperfective marker does not have such a function. In English, the seeming result meaning arises only from the cause-effect connection between the state depicted by the imperfective sentence and the situation which brings about that state. The imperfective marker has nothing to do with that meaning. This leads to the conclusion that the English imperfective aspect can focus only on the preliminary reading and the internal reading. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Aspect is a general linguistic term utilised in the grammatical description of verbs; specifically, it is concerned with 'the way the grammar marks the duration of type of temporal activity denoted by the verb' (Crystal, 1991: 27). Originally used by specialists concerned with Slavic languages, in which aspect plays a key role, the concept of aspect has been shown to have significant implications for many other languages. In this article, the use of aspect and of aspectual markers in American Sign Language (ASL) will be explored. The argument to be presented is that ASL employs a variety of morphologically complex forms to express indications of aspect. For example, repetition and reduplication, changes in the direction of movement, changes in the nature of movement, changes in the speed of movement, changes in the use of space and spatial relations, as well as phonological changes, especially with respect to the use of a hold, all function to indicate aspectual distinctions in ASL. The morphological system for demonstrating aspectual relations will be explored, and implications for understanding aspect in the context of sign language linguistics will be discussed. Finally, comparisons will be made to similar phenomena in both British Sign Language and South African Sign Language. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

L2 learners often notice input which is frequent, functional and perceptually salient. Frequency, functionality and salience can be induced by instruction. One possible source of salience is contrast-dependent teacher-induced salience which is defined via contrastive analysis. In an experiment conducted with 137 intermediate FL learners, Kupferberg and Olshtain (1996a) showed that contrastive metalinguistic input (CMI) facilitated the acquisition of difficult target structures. The present study partially replicates this experiment to test the effect of CMI on the acquisition of grammatical aspect in English by 57 English teachers and student teachers, advanced L2 learners, who were able to recognise the structure, but avoided production. The results of the two experiments are interpreted within a cognitive framework of L2 acquisition as an indication that the provision of CMI may enhance the production levels of difficult target structures. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]