Modification of English Complex Noun Phrases: A Case Study of Native and Non-Native Writers

Rika Mutiara

doi:10.33633/es.v2i1.2371

Abstract

This study aims at examining differences of complex noun phrases written by Indonesian writers and English native writers in English academic prose particularly undergraduate students’ theses. The complex noun phrases were scrutinized based on how they were modified (Biber, Johansson, Leech, Conrad, & Finegan, 1999, pp.588-644). Corpus method that is concordance analysis of nouns was applied to identify the modifications. The data were taken from four undergraduate theses. Two of them were written by non-native writers and the others were produced by native writers. The differences cover some modifiers namely adverb (phrase) as premodifiers and postmodifiers, adjective (phrase) as postmodifiers, relativizers, prepositional phrases, appositives, and multiple modifiers whether premodifiers or postmodifiers. The differences occur might be caused by L1 interference such as in the use of adjective (phrase), adverb phrase, and reflexive pronoun as postmodifier. Non-native writers do not produce any adjective (phrase) and reflexive pronoun as postmodifiers. For multiple premodifiers and postmodifiers, differences occur in the form of the highest number of modifiers in the NPs and their types. In the long noun phrases, the non-native writers modified the nouns with a number of appositives. NPs written by native writers of English are more complex.

Highlights

Payne (1999:258) states “the term noun is used to describe the class of lexical items whose prototypical members refer to entities, substances, and named individuals or locations (John, Paris, France)”
It was found that noun phrases (NPs) in academic and news registers occur more often than in other registers
This study focuses on the noun phrases in academic register

Summary

Introduction

Payne (1999:258) states “the term noun is used to describe the class of lexical items whose prototypical members refer to entities (chair, film, leg), substances (butter, concrete, blood), and named individuals or locations (John, Paris, France)”. The variations of NP structures attack researchers’ attention (Bennett, 2011; Biber et al, 1999; Cario-Pastor & Luisa, 2009; Oakey, 2010). These variations occur because of the modifications of noun phrases. Premodifiers mean the modifiers come before the head nouns while postmodifiers show that the modifiers come after the head nouns Sometimes both types of modifiers occur together. It is possible for a head noun to have more than one premodifier or postmodifier. In the academic register in which large information is conveyed, the use of such kinds of noun phrases occurs often (Biber et al, 1999:579; Oakey, 2010:194)

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Conclusion