A Contrastive Study of Chinese Learners’Acquisition of English Non-alternating and Alternating Unaccusative Verbs

Abstract

English unaccusative verbs pose great difficulties to second language learners. The distinction between non-alternating and alternating unaccusative verbs makes the learning task even more difficult. This study conducts a contrastive study of how Chinese learners acquire these two types of verbs in terms of acquisition sequence, acquisition problem and developmental patterns. It finds that non-alternating and alternating unaccusative verbs are completely different from each other in acquisition sequence and acquisition problem, but are partly different in developmental patterns.