English Constructions Research Articles

The Processing of English caused-motion construction by EFL learners

This article investigates the processing of English caused-motion constructions by Brazilian EFL learners. Drawing on corpus data on the production of such constructions by Brazilian learners, this study experimentally tests the four following constructional domains of caused motions discussed in Rosa (2020): (1) literal caused motions with instantiating verbs (e.g., put the toys into the box); (2) figurative caused motions with instantiating verbs (e.g., get yourself in trouble); (3) literal caused motions with modifying verbs (e.g., they laughed him out of the office); and (4) figurative caused motions with modifying verbs (e.g., she talked me into stupor). An acceptability judgment task with 120 EFL Brazilian learners at two levels of proficiency (B2 and C1) was devised so as to investigate the development of caused motions by testing two aspects and their effect on the comprehension of the structure: (1) level of proficiency, and (2) the degree of linguistic complexity of the structures in question. The results of the experimental study showed that learners’ proficiency level does affect their comprehension of the structures. However, the linguistic complexity of the structures seems to play an even greater role in that learners exhibit a descending level of comprehension of caused motions that is proportional with the ascending level of semantic and syntactic complexity of the structures.

An Online Interactive Model of University English Based on Comprehensive Evaluation Models

Abstract This paper combines the theory of multiple interactive teaching modes in the process of college English online teaching and constructs an interactive model of English online teaching from three dimensions: teacher-student interaction, student-student interaction, and human-computer interaction. Secondly, the learner portrait structure in the E-GPPE-C model was designed from the three dimensions of basic characteristics, behaviors, and outcomes. According to the planned group learning path, an improved convolutional neural network (CNN) is used to generate a personalized learning path. To divide the learning community, the group of learners is clustered using the mean clustering algorithm. Finally, three rounds of teaching practice were conducted to verify the effectiveness of this interactive teaching model. The results show that the ratio of verbal interaction between teachers and students after the use of the strategy of constructing learner profiles increased to 0.9 compared with the previous 0.1. The correlation coefficient between personalized learning and learning self-regulation is 0.682, and significant correlations all present a significant correlation at the 0.01 level. This paper provides lessons and references for further research and development of smart interactive instructional design in colleges and universities.

COMPARATIVE ANALYSIS OF VERB-PARTICLE CONSTRUCTIONS WITH THE COMPONENT UP, ABOVE-ՎԵՐ/ՎԵՐև, AGAINST-ԴԵՄ/ԸՆԴԴԵՄ IN MODERN ENGLISH AND ARMENIAN

English and Armenian exhibit richness in infinitive+preposition/postposition or adverb constructions. These constructions are referred to as verb-particle constructions in Armenian and phrasal verbs in English. These constructions reflect the richness and flexibility of expressing thoughts and actions in English and Armenian languages. The non-verbal component of these constructions is preposition, postposition or adverb with a sense of place and direction. Examples include take up «prefer», blow up «explode», վեր հանել (literally «to take up», meaning «to open the secret, to find out smth», and դեմ ընկնել (literally «fall against», meaning «to ask, to beg»). When studying these constructions, it is necessary to pay attention to the context in order to accurately determine their meanings and usage in each language. This article presents a comparative analysis of verb-particle constructions with the particles up, above, against, վեր/վերև, դեմ, ընդդեմ. The verb-particle constructions in English and Armenian exhibit numerous similarities. It is noteworthy that units with the mentioned components are often used in similar contexts, conveying similar meanings and exhibiting comparable structural characteristics. However, in addition to their common meanings, these units also possess distinct meanings unique to one language. In Armenian, due to the synthetic nature of the language, the meanings of English phrasal verbs featuring the components up, above, and against can be also expressed through the use of endings.

The construction of English ecological discourse system in cognitive linguistics applicable to semantic association network model

Abstract Based on the features and knowledge elements of the semantic network, this paper proposes a formal model of the semantic network of English ecological discourse and constructs an abstract description based on classification learners and reduced operation commands. In the formal description, the semantic features are extracted based on the sequence model, the text composition is completed based on the word relationship for the adaptive semantic network, and the hierarchical structure of the semantic network is constructed. By selecting English ecological news discourse data from mainstream news media in the United Kingdom and the United States and combining it with the adaptive semantic network, the subject of the discourse system is determined, and the characteristics of the title tone and modal verbs are analyzed. English ecological discourse has 115,000 modal verbs. Low-modal verbs reached 993,000, and high-modal verbs accounted for the smallest proportion, 516,000. The ecological characteristics of English news are revealed through the ecological discourse analysis of this paper.

Scope Freezing Restricts Binding in Italian Right Dislocation

Abstract Binding into right-dislocated categories is generally possible in Italian but fails when the binder is a direct object and the right-dislocated constituent an indirect object or a PP doubled by ci, even though direct objects binding into indirect objects or PPs is otherwise acceptable. These data fall into place once it is recognized that cliticization of an indirect object or a PP gives rise to a scope-freezing effect (on a par with English double-object constructions). We develop our account using a biclausal analysis of right dislocation but explore to which extent monoclausal analyses can capture the data as well.

Negation That Isn’t

In this paper I investigate the ne…ne construction in Turkish, illustrated by Ne Ali ne (de) Esra geldi ‘Neither Ali nor Esra arrived’. The meaning of the ne…ne construction roughly corresponds to the meaning of the neither…nor construction in English, but the syntactic properties of ne…ne are somewhat different from those of neither…nor. I focus on two such differences: one, the fact that ne…ne can, although it doesn’t have to, be accompanied by a negated verb; in fact, a negated verb is slightly dispreferred by speakers (but the presence versus the absence of negation interacts in interesting ways with negative concord); and two, the fact that the ne…ne construction cannot be embedded under a wide-scope question particle –mI except when the verb is negated.

A multilingual approach to the interaction between frames and constructions

Abstract The comparison of constructions across languages faces a major challenge: Both similarities and differences can appear on the whole scale from form to meaning. In this paper, we propose an approach combining the descriptive and explanatory power of Construction Grammar and Frame Semantics by applying the analysis of constructions and frames on a full-text scale. More concretely, we propose a contrastive and translatological analysis of (partially) schematic constructions in English, Brazilian Portuguese and German which may diverge in form, but are relatable to one another across languages by their conventional pragmatics and/or the semantic frames they evoke.

A study of innovative strategies for teaching English to college students based on tiered probit

Abstract This paper analyzes the current situation of university English teaching and constructs a trinity of EGP+ESP+EIC multiple teaching innovation systems for university English based on the principles of English teaching innovation. In order to analyze this innovative teaching system of English, a stratified statistical model and a spatial autoregressive model are combined, and four ordinal stratified spatial autoregressive Probit models are innovatively constructed to model data where the dependent variable is ordinal, and there is a spatial dependency situation with a stratified structure. The analysis shows that in the process of continuous innovation of English teaching mode, the number of people who are dissatisfied with English teaching decreases by 30%, the number of people who are very satisfied increases by 35%, and the number of people who are very satisfied accounts for 42.5% of the total number of people and 90% of the total number of people who are satisfied in the final stage of innovation of English teaching in university. The English teaching innovation strategy for university students based on this study is feasible.

Method for classroom teaching quality evaluation in college English based on the probabilistic uncertain linguistic multiple-attribute group decision-making

College English is an important basic course in higher education. Promoting the reform of college English teaching and constructing a scientific and standardized quality assurance system for college English teaching are important guarantees and powerful means to improve the quality of talent cultivation in higher education. In terms of ideology, it is necessary to attach great importance to strengthening the awareness of monitoring and ensuring the quality of college English teaching system construction; In terms of management, ensure the operation of a diversified governance and evaluation system for college English teaching; Practice in improving the quality monitoring and guarantee system of college English teaching in action; In terms of overall coordination, build a high-quality and efficient college English teaching resource sharing system. The classroom teaching quality evaluation in college English is classical multiple-attribute group decision-making (MAGDM) issues. Recently, the Exponential TODIM (ExpTODIM) method has been used to solve MAGDM issues. The probabilistic uncertain linguistic term sets (PULTSs) are used as a tool for characterizing uncertain information during the classroom teaching quality evaluation in college English. In this paper, the probabilistic uncertain linguistic ExpTODIM (PUL-ExpTODIM) method is defined to solve the MAGDM under PULTSs. In the end, a numerical case study for classroom teaching quality evaluation in college English is given to validate the proposed method.

Semantic Interpretations of Ditransitive Constructions in English

This study addresses claims made by two theories—the Alternative Projection and Verb Sensitive approaches—regarding an interpretation of possession attributed to certain ditransitive constructions. The Alternative Projection approach argues that an interpretation of possession is only available in the double object (DO) pattern expressed by English ditransitive verbs (1a) and is not available in the prepositional (PP) pattern (1b). The Verb Sensitive approach argues that this possession interpretation is either available for both the DO and PP patterns, or for neither pattern, depending on the class of ditransitive verb with which the patterns occur. (1a) The salesperson gave the young farmer the grain mixture. (1b) The salesperson gave the grain mixture to the young farmer. Both approaches posit a possession interpretation of the DO pattern across all ditransitive verbs. This study tests to what degree native English speakers interpret a meaning of possession from the DO and PP patterns through an online survey with 88 participants. Ditransitive verbs from five semantic classes are analyzed to determine if the interpretation of possession varies based on use of the DO or PP pattern (Alternative Projection) or by the semantic class of the verb (Verb Sensitive). The results do not support the Alternative Projection approach. The results suggest partial support for the Verb Sensitive approach, as semantic classes do not entirely follow the pattern predicted by this approach. Further, judgements reported in this study contradict some judgements reported in the literature, highlighting the importance of quantitative studies in evaluating theoretical claims. KEYWORDS: Ditransitives in English; Ditransitive Verbs; Survey; the Dative Alternation; Semantics; Verb Semantics; Alternative Projection approach; Verb Sensitive approach

Exploring English Information Packaging Constructions in Written and Spoken Language

Information structure refers to the relationship between sentence properties and the surrounding discourse: the legitimacy of the sentences may depend on what has been established by the immediately preceding sentences or phrases in the written and spoken language. Passive clauses, extraposition, the existential construction, the 'it'-cleft construction, pseudo-clefts, dislocation, and pre- and post-posing are described as non-canonical constructions. The paper is to characterize the syntactic differences between these constructions and their basic counterparts and to investigate the factors that encourage or discourage the use of one of these constructions as opposed to the more basic counterpart

A Comparative Study of Punjabi and English Open-Ended Syntactic Constructions Through the Revised Extended Standard Transformational Generative Theory

Punjabi is one of the major languages spoken in Pakistan, India, and many other parts of the world. Despite its popularity, Punjabi has not been studied and explored extensively, especially with respect to its syntax. In this study, the open-ended syntactic constructions of Punjabi were looked at using the revised extended standard transformational (REST) generative theory. This was done to find out how the surface structures of open-ended interrogative syntactic constructions in Punjabi are made from their deep structures. Subsequently, the Punjabi constructions are compared to their English counterparts with respect to REST to figure out syntactic similarities and dissimilarities between the open-ended syntactic constructions of both languages. The data for this qualitative study has been taken from a ‘Punjabi book, Descriptive Grammars by Bhatia (2013). The selected data has been analyzed through X-bar tree diagrams. The exploratory research design has been used to conduct this study. The findings of this study reveal that Punjabi and English are syntactically distinct languages. Punjabi is an in-situ language since the question words do not move to generate surface structures, while English is an ex-situ language as the question words move to form surface structures through the transformational rules of ‘Wh’ movement and operator movement. Also, English uses dummy auxiliaries, whereas no such dummies are used in Punjabi. Finally, Punjabi interrogative constructions have reduplication features, unlike English open-ended constructions. The syntactic disparities between these two languages have implications for SOV language learners who aspire to learn English and for those enrolled in undergraduate and graduate programs.

Applying given-before-new principle in L2 English datives development

ABSTRACT Dative alternation between prepositional and double object datives has been a popular topic in second language (L2) acquisition, but only few studies deal with discourse constraints such as the given-before-new principle, or given-new (GN) ordering, which describes the tendency to place given information before new information. The present study investigated Chinese English as a Foreign Language (EFL) learners at different proficiency levels on their ability to instantiate the GN order in English dative constructions to account for their difficulty regarding the discourse constraint that is expected to stem from structural differences between the two languages. In this study, 140 Chinese EFL learners were divided into 4 groups according to their proficiency levels, with ten native speakers in the control group. In a written elicited production task, six dative verbs were presented both in the given-theme and the given-recipient conditions so that the alignment of two objects and the errors in their responses could be probed. Results demonstrated that sensitivity to the GN principle tended to increase as the participants’ English proficiency increased. More specifically, the GN order is more frequently instantiated in prepositional datives so that learners with high proficiency behave similar to native speakers while even advanced learners have difficulty producing as much GN order in double object datives as native speakers. A combination of two factors concerning the type of dative constructions and information structures is suggested to account for the results. Additionally, it was observed that Chinese learners of English would rather drop the given argument than produce new-given (NG) order, which violates the GN principle, probably due to their first language (L1) allowing topic drop.

Constructing and enacting language teacher identities: Distinctive pathways and divergent practices

AbstractThe aim of this study was to explore how English language teachers construct and enact their teacher identities. The data was collected through semi‐structured interviews with four in‐service English language teachers at Turkish public schools. The findings revealed certain identity stabilizers: the fascination with subject and the job, caring for students and the relationships with students and former teachers. Although the teachers took two distinctive pathways—the meant to be route and the higher education route—the job experiences of those taking the same route to teaching were quite different. Varying levels of exersion of teacher agency to attain alignment between imagined and actual identities and rare opportunities for legitimate participation and job socialization were effective in the actualization of personal and professional values distinctively. The findings enhance our understanding of how teacher identity is contextually and relationally constructed and offer implications for teacher education and sustainable identity‐oriented professional learning.

A Preliminary Exploration of the Construction of College English Curriculum in the Light of OBE Principles: From Outcome Guarantees to Innovative Pathways

In the context of globalization, the need for transformation in China's college English education is increasingly apparent. The traditional pedagogical approaches, which predominantly focus on linguistic knowledge, can no longer meet the diverse demands of society for university students' comprehensive foreign language skills. As a result, the Outcome-Based Education (OBE) philosophy presents a pathway for educational reform that is student-centered and prioritizes the realization of learning outcomes. Grounded in the OBE theory, this study endeavors to reconfigure college English course objectives, processes, and evaluations, ensuring alignment with students’ authentic needs and developmental goals. This study offers an in-depth examination of the multi-layered connotations of course objectives and constructs a curriculum framework encompassing “three phases” and “one mechanism.” This framework entails the formulation and design of course plans, the organization and management of course content, and the analysis and improvement of learning outcomes. This scholarly exploration illustrates a novel, multi-dimensional perspective for college English course construction, aiming to provide valuable insights and guidance for higher education English curriculum development.

The Translation Obstacles of Passive Voice in Obama’s Presidential Speeches

This paper aimed at finding weather if the English passive voice construction used in Obama’s political speeches, will be preserved or not when translated into Arabic. This paper hypothesize that the passive voice construction is not preserved during the process of translation from English to Arabic. In conclusion according to the analysis of the samples most of the translators use active voice instead of the passive voice in translating the statements that is due to the fact that the complexity of Arabic language differs from that of the English language, both languages differ in culture and norms and follows different grammar. This study provides an overview on translating passive voice forms from English to Arabic using Obama's presidential speeches. This paper serves as a valuable resource for analyzing passive voice constructions, developing translation strategies, and evaluating translation outcomes. It is expected to contribute to the field of translation studies and enhance understanding of the complexities involved in translating between these two languages. It attempts to present a valuable addition to a topic in need of more relevant information.

Exploration of Guiding Strategies and Practical Approaches for Collective Lesson Preparation

The informatization construction of college English Flipped classroom, as a means of teaching, especially an effective application of language teaching, is worth our repeated use. After the exam oriented English learning in the early and high school stages, the majority of students passively accept English learning and lack initiative. After entering the university, their requirements for English learning will also be improved accordingly, hoping that learning is a relaxed and pleasant form, and Flipped classroom teaching plays such a role in this process. According to the author's visit to some college students, Flipped classroom is a popular teaching mode in college English teaching, and students are more willing to carry out autonomous learning and improve learning efficiency through this flipped mode. Through this article, we know the importance and practicality of the informatization construction of Flipped classroom in college English teaching, which helps us to find the best way to improve and ultimately achieve better teaching goals.

PHRASEOLOGICAL AND NON-PHRASEOLOGICAL METHODS OF TRANSLATING IDIOMATIC EXPRESSIONS WITH A COLOR COMPONENT

The main purpose of the article is to study ways of translation of English idioms with a color component into Ukrainian. Idiomatic units make up a significant part of the vocabulary of both Ukrainian and English, therefore, they are of great interest to scientists. In addition, it is important to choose the correct ways to translate such units, in particular with a color component. Two major methods of translation of English idiomatic constructions with coloronyms into Ukrainian are analysed: phraseological method with the selection of a full or partial equivalent, as well as non-phraseological, that is, descriptive translation, which is resorted to when it is impossible to find equivalents. When choosing a translation strategy, the translator should pay attention not only to the literal, but also to the figurative component of the idiom. The translator should take into account the fact that idiomatic constructions and colored elements can have different meanings in different cultures. Color units in idiomatic constructions can be used to indicate the real color or to convey certain symbols as well as add expressiveness into the speech. Using the novel “11/22/63” by American writer Stephen King and its Ukrainian translation, phraseological and non-phraseological methods of translating idioms with a color name in the composition are analyzed. As a result of the analysis, it has been revealed that the translator resorts more to the phraseological method of giving color idioms, but if necessary, does not neglect the non-phraseological method of translation for better reproduction of the figurative component.

The discourse functions of grammatical constructions explain an enduring syntactic puzzle

Each grammatical construction serves a function, such as conveying that part an utterance is at-issue or is backgrounded. When multiple constructions combine to produce an utterance, their functions must be compatible. This preregistered study (N = 680) addresses the enigmatic case of “syntactic island constraints”: Long-distance dependency constructions (LDDs) do not combine equally well with all base constructions. While widely presumed to require unlearned syntactic constraints, we test the idea that it is infelicitous to make an element both prominent (via an LDD construction) and backgrounded (via the base construction). Using 10 base constructions of English (144 base stimuli), results confirm two independent measures of backgroundedness strongly correlate with acceptability ratings on each of three LDD constructions. Results indicate that “island” constraints arise from a clash between the functions of the constructions being combined.

What Did(n’t) Happen to English?: A Re-evaluation of Some Contact Explanations in Early English

McWhorter (2002) argued that contact with Norse caused simplifications in English grammar that set English apart from other Germanic languages. This paper focuses on one of the losses McWhorter attributed to the linguistic impact of the Scandinavian invasions, External Possessors. An investigation of electronic Old and Early Middle English corpora reveals that the construction was already on the decline in the Old English period, and that Norse contact cannot explain the Early Middle English data. There is no support for the view that the loss of the construction spread from the Scandinavianized areas southwards. The facts are consistent with the view that while Celtic influence did not cause the loss of the construction in Old English, Celtic speakers shifting to English may have played a role in triggering the initial decline of the construction. Study of non-standard variants of other Germanic languages is needed to increase our understanding of the history of External Possessor constructions in those languages.