Grammatical Behavior Research Articles

The relative clause in colloquial Singapore English

In this paper, we demonstrate the specific ways in which the influence of Chinese manifests itself in the structure of the noun phrases containing relative clause modifiers in colloquial Singapore English. We argue that while previous researchers have been correct in pointing out the substratal influence of Chinese, they have not gone far enough in articulating the specific nature of this influence, in particular on the grammar. Colloquial Singapore English relative clauses are interesting because they show an amalgamation of both substrate and superstrate grammatical features. This blending of features is a precise one in which substrate influence is in some way regulated and limited by the superstrate grammar. The combination of superstrate and substrate grammars is illustrated in the constituent ordering of relative clause modifiers, as well as the grammatical behavior of the relative pronoun one. In this paper, we also seek to show that colloquial Singapore English relative clauses are extremely elaborate grammatical structures which argue against new varieties of English being characterized as simplified versions of their superstrate language

Die aard van persoonstoename in Calvinia en omgewing: ’n pragmatiese beskouing

The nature of personal sobriquets in Calvinia and vicinity: a pragmatic perspectiveThis contribution focuses on the usage of personal sobriquets in the Northern Cape district Calvinia. Within the framework of a pragmatic analysis the article reflects, on the one hand, on the interaction between sobriquets and other name types and, on the other hand, on the way in which the identifying function, semantic nature and grammatical behaviour of sobriquets are intertwined. Existing studies on sobriquets from diverse theoretical perspectives are incorporated supportively and/or comparatively.

On structure-dependent grammars: A reply to Mabry

In a recent paper, Mabry (1993) examines various aspects of Skinner's (1957) treatment of grammar, and he compares it with cognitivist approaches. Mabry gives convincing reasons for concluding that Skinner's approach is superior. But Mabry virtually ignores one of the most important features of grammatical behavior, namely, its structure dependence. Since Chomsky's main argument against Skinner's treatment of verbal behavior is based on this feature, Mabry's analysis must be expanded to include a behavior-analytic treatment of it. Only then can real progress be made in bringing cognitivists closer to functional analyses of verbal behavior. A brief outline of a behavior-analytic explanation of structure dependence is given in the present paper.

O– and D–Predicates: A Semantic Approach to the Unaccusative–Unergative Distinction

In this paper a conceptually based distinction between two classes of semantic predicates is proposed D–prediates, which encode object definig properties, and O–predicates, which encode optional properties. While the distinction between the properties is conceptually motivated, the two corresponding predicate classes are defined with reference to a logically based notion of ‘(predicate)field’. It is argued that on the basis of this distinction the differences in the grammatical behaviour of unaccusaive and unergative verbs in German can be derived and do not require any form of syntactic representation because the properties that are usually taken to be an indication of the class membership of intransive verbs follow from the status of the properties encoded by the two types of semantic predicates.

Nominal group heads and clause structure

AbstractThis paper reports the results of a study of the distribution of nominal group heads across the major elements of clause structure. The distribution of 38 head-nouns was examined, using concordanced data from the University of Birmingham's Cobuild corpora. The results lead to the following observations: i) that nominal group heads, and hence nominal groups, are unevenly distributed across grammatical categories; ii) that a head-noun tends to have a different syntagmatic environment according to the constituent it is realising; iii) that different senses of a noun display different grammatical behaviour; iv) that the syntagmatic patterns in which nominal group heads are involved tend to cut across rank boundaries; and v) that a focus on nouns as the central elements of clauses will reveal the syntagmatic restrictions on some of the most common lexico-grammatical patterns in the language.

SKINNER'S VERBAL BEHAVIOR, CHOMSKY'S REVIEW, AND MENTALISM

Skinner's Verbal Behavior (1957) is a comprehensive treatise that deals with most aspects of verbal behavior. However, its treatment of the learning of grammatical behavior has been challenged repeatedly (e.g., Chomsky, 1959). The present paper will attempt to show that the learning of grammar and syntax can be dealt with adequately within a behavior-analytic framework. There is no need to adopt mentalist (or cognitivist) positions or to add mentalist elements to behaviorist theories.

EXTENDING SEQUENCE‐CLASS MEMBERSHIP WITH MATCHING TO SAMPLE1

Three normal adults were first trained to point sequentially to each member of several pairs of visual stimuli. This baseline training established one class of stimuli to which subjects responded first, and another class of stimuli to which they responded second. Then, in a matching-to-sample procedure, baseline-sequence stimuli served as samples and new visual stimuli served as comparisons. Subjects were trained to choose one group of new comparisons when the sample was a "first" stimulus from the sequence baseline, and to choose the other new comparison stimuli when the sample was a "second" from the sequence baseline. When the new stimuli were then presented as pairs in the posttest, two subjects pointed to them in sequences predictable on the basis of the stimulus-class membership established during matching to sample. The failure of one subject to demonstrate sequential transfer was shown to be a consequence of the failure of the matching-to-sample procedure to establish stimulus classes. The production of sequences that were not directly trained suggested an empirical approach to the analysis of simple grammatical behavior.