Non-finite Verb Research Articles

Written Narrative in Patients with Different Mental Disorders

Language disorders are criteria of psychopathology diagnostics listed both in the 10th revision of International Statistical Classification of Diseases and Related Health Problems (ICD-10) and the Diagnostic and Statistic Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM). However, structure and grammar remain understudied in this aspect, which makes structural analysis a relevant research topic. A structural analysis of written narrative may objectivize particular language disorders, thus facilitating psychodiagnostics of different mental disorders. The research objective was to describe the structural features of written narratives obtained from 127 patients with schizophrenic, bipolar, and personality disorders. The narratives were subjected to structural and statistical analyses. Schizophrenic narratives demonstrated a poor vocabulary, a low volume, and a high degree of formality with a passive narrator. Bipolar texts tended to be long, detailed, egocentric, and active, with multiple participles. Patients with personality disorders emotionally relived their memories, producing reflective written narratives with a lot of actors. The final list of written speech indicators to be used to distinguish between schizophrenic, bipolar, and personality disorders included such variables as text volume, verb tense, non-finite verb forms, first-person singular pronoun, number of actors, passive / active narrator, and laconic / detailed narration.

La gramaticalización de los futuros y condicionales en el navarroaragonés de los siglos xiii y xiv

Abstract This paper aims to partially verify the hypothesis following which the grammaticalisation of the Ibero-Romance future and conditional tenses unfolded earlier in the (north-)eastern peninsular varieties before spreading to the central and western part of the Iberian territory through language and dialect contact. For this purpose, we will contrastively examine the distribution of futures and conditionals in Navarro-Aragonese and Castilian for the 13th and 14th century, more specifically the variation between the so-called synthetic verb forms with postverbal object pronouns and the analytic forms with mesoclitic pronouns, including the morpho-syntactic factors that favour the use of the former. It is shown that Navarro-Aragonese seems to exhibit a higher frequency of use of the synthetic forms with postverbal pronouns, especially with syncopated verbs, conditionals and a following non-finite verb form.

On the emergence of argument encoding in causatives constructions in Romance

Causative constructions in Romance show complex variation regarding the case of the subject of the non-finite clause (causee) and to its position with respect to the main causative verb and the embedded non-finite verb. It has been argued that the variation reflects the diachronic evolution of the causative construction in Romance and also documents an ongoing process of further development. We present original empirical data from a comparative corpus of Bible translations that provide new insights into diachronic evolution as well as to the synchronic variation. Our comparative approach allows us to generalize over additional semantic and pragmatic parameters for the choice of a particular construction. Our data support the assumption of the extension of ECM from clitic to nominal causee constructions in French, but they do not support this for Italian. For Spanish we see some ECM constructions in the most recent translation only.

Differential effects of EFL proficiency and mode on noun phrase use

This study extends the existing research on phrasal elaboration by investigating the independent and interactive effects of English as a foreign language (EFL) proficiency and mode (speaking and writing) on the overall and individual use of five distinct types of noun phrase modifiers. These modifiers include premodifiers, prepositional phrases, non-finite verb phrases, relative clauses, and nominal clauses. A total of 7676 second-year English majors were instructed to produce both oral and written argumentative essays on the same topic. Robust ANOVAs showed that EFL proficiency exhibited neither a significant main effect nor a significant interaction with mode with regard to the overall use of noun phrase modifiers or the specific use of premodifiers and prepositional phrases. However, a significant effect of mode was detected for different EFL proficiency levels. Mode did not yield a significant effect, whilst EFL proficiency demonstrated a significant impact on the use of non-finite verb phrases. No significant main effects or interactions were observed for EFL proficiency and mode in terms of the use of relative clauses or nominal clauses. These findings suggest the pedagogical need to prioritize the learners’ procedural knowledge of noun phrases, with specific attention to the nuances of EFL speaking versus writing.

Структурная и функционально-семантическая классификация корякских полипредикативных конструкций со скрепой тите ‘когда’

The paper presents structural and functional-semantic classifications of Koryak polypredicative constructions with the clause linkage marker tite ‘when’. These are syntactic units prototypically comprising two clauses linked by the word tite and encoding the relation between the events expressed by these predicative units. Given the endangered status of the Koryak language, it seems imperative to document its grammar. Furthermore, the Koryak syntax is particularly intriguing from a typological perspective due to its polysynthetic nature and extensive use of non-finite verb forms with nominal case affixes directly attached to the verb stem. This study employed the methodology developed by the scholars of the Institute of Philology of the SB RAS. The classifications were developed by analyzing the constructions concerned in the texts of the three native speakers. The three main parameters of the analysis were the forms used as predicates of clauses, the morphological nature of the clause linkage markers, and the semantic relation between the events. In terms of the morphology of clause linkage markers, the constructions can be categorized into proper analytic and analyticsynthetic types, while the forms of the predicates determine whether they are bi-finite, monofinite, or bi-nonfinite. The non-finite verb form system exclusively employs negative, locative, dative converbs, and converbs of simultaneity. When considering its functional aspects, the author regards tite as a versatile marker of clause linkage, encompassing temporal-conditional and complement constructions. Posteriority, partial simultaneity, and reality condition are among the most prevalent semantic types. Ultimately, this study emphasizes the correlations between structure and meaning.

Case and agreement puzzle in the Moksha debitive

Abstract This paper is dedicated to the debitive construction in Moksha Mordvin, which exhibits patterns unusual for a dative-infinitive construction (DIC). The non-finite verb can agree with its internal argument but not with the external one. The internal argument can bear both the definite nominative case, which is otherwise restricted to subjects of finite clauses, and the definite genitive case, which can mark both direct objects and definite possessors. Personal agreement is mandatory in the former case but prohibited in the latter. I propose that the Moksha debitive construction includes a null modal verb that assigns dative to the external argument of the infinitive. The case marking on the internal argument is determined by its structural position, in accordance with Dependent Case Theory. The case of Moksha demonstrates that the dative case in DICs can be inherent (contra what has been argued on the basis of Russian DICs) and that an argument for biclausality can be constructed based on case and agreement patterns.

The Distinction between Finite and Nonfinite Verbs in Mandarin Chinese

The Distinction between Finite and Nonfinite Verbs in Mandarin Chinese

Особенности употребления абсолютных причастных оборотов в итальянском языке XVI в. (на примере трактата Ф. Гвиччардини «История Италии»)

The aim of the study is to determine the structural and functional features of absolute participle constructions in the Old Italian language of the High Renaissance period using the text of the treatise “The History of Italy” by one of the leading figures in Italian historical science Francesco Guicciardini as an example. The paper is novel in that it is the first to analyse the specificity of using absolute participle constructions as one of non-finite verb forms on the basis of a work written in the Tuscan volgare during the Cinquecento period in the genre of a historical treatise. Such constructions could be used as an equivalent of a predicative construction in a complex sentence, were characterised by variability of forms when agreeing with the subject in gender and number, could be accompanied by correlates and were also used as an analogue of attributive clauses with a relative in preposition. As a result of the study, it has been found that the absolute participle constructions in Francesco Guicciardini’s work are characterised by variation at the syntactic level and have greater functionality compared to the modern literary language.

A comparison between syntactical functions of Participle II in the German language and participle in standard Albanian language

Abstract In verb system of different languages there is a distinction of finite and nonfinite form of verbs. Finite verbs have morphological categories of tense, mood, person and number. These categories cannot be found in nonfinite form of the verbs (Bech, 1955). Nonfinite form of verbs do not give evidence for mood, person and number (Hentchel & Weydt, 1994). Comparing nonfinite form of verbs has been the object of different studies. The purpose of these studies is identifying the differences and similarities of nonfinite form of verbs in different languages. In one language a nonfinite form might be missing, whereas in another language a nonfinite verb is present. These changes make a big difference in morphology and syntax. Every language has its own feature based on grammatical rules. The purpose of this study is an analysis of syntactical functions of Participle II in German language and participle in standard Albanian language by finding the difference and similarities between them. Participle II of German language or as it is different named past participle coincide with nonfinite form participle of Albanian language. The participle of Albanian language and Participle II of German language have many similar uses in terms of verbs and adjective features. Participles have similar syntactical functions but there are also a lot of differences.

Enhancing grammar proficiency of EFL learners through corpus-integrated lessons

This article explores what corpus-integrated lessons can be designed for EFL students in the Chinese context. It aims to shed light on the relations between developmental research and the degree to which the desired objective has been achieved. It utilized developmental, explanatory sequential mixed methods, and quasi-experimental designs. The researcher built an approximate 710,000-token corpus of texts taken from over fifty Bookworms literary books and New Concept English. The proficiency pre-test also revealed the following areas as their weaknesses: word formation, conjunction and relative clause, nonfinite verbs, prepositions and verbs. Hence, the lessons were anchored on these weaknesses. After eight weeks of implementation, the statistical evidence confirms the hypothesis that there is a significant difference between the pre-test and the post-test. The test was subjected to the reliability and validity test. The study yields promising results regarding the efficacy of DDL-inspired lessons on Chinese high school students’ learning of grammatical constructions. Comparisons between the pre-test and post-test and perceptions collected through the semi-open interviews suggest that (1) for intermediate and advanced senior high school students, inductive learning is superior to and more effective than deductive learning, (2) corpus-integrated classroom resources need full involvement from the applied linguist, the educational psychologist, the textbook writer and the language teacher to fulfill its true potential and (3) the idea for corpus literacy should be integrated into the curriculum for teacher education program.

BİR ÖNCELEME İNCELEMESİ: SAMUEL BECKETT'IN "PING" ADLI KISA HİKÂYESİ

This study investigates the foregrounded patterns inosculated to form Nobel Prize-winning author, critic, and playwright Samuel Beckett’s short story “Ping” and aims to reveal his purpose of using these patterns. One of the remarkable contributions of Russian Formalism and Prag School Structuralism to stylistics is the concept of foregrounding by which writers bring a particular textual pattern (a phoneme, word, phrase, clause, etc.) to the fore by making it salient or deviant from what surrounds it to draw readers' attention to it and to make it both memorable and interpretable. Beckett, like many authors, takes two basic ways to foreground certain elements: foregrounding-through-deviation and foregrounding-through-parallelism/repetition. Besides its confinement to a single paragraph, from the beginning, the story stands out with the omission of punctuation marks, except for the full stop, sentences with no verb or with only non-finite verbs (the present and past participles), and the conversion of some adjectives into verbs. These deviant patterns enable Beckett to present a free-flowing form of (limited or impaired) consciousness and emphasize that the character is in his/her very last moment and s/he cannot move. By doing so, he invites readers to immerse themselves unreservedly in what the character feels or perceives. To reflect an instance of awareness or perception in an extreme situation where the character is on the brink of existence or non-existence and is struggling to find some meaning, Beckett also adopts other foregrounded patterns such as the repetition of a limited number of words and phrases with some alterations, employment of certain nouns in different positions in the sentences, and sentences that begin with particular words or phrases but end differently. Apart from those, Beckett offers another example of foregrounding at the end of the English version. Thus, he makes the readers aware of the fictionality of the story.d patterns such as the repetition of a limited number of words and phrases with some alterations, employment of certain nouns in different positions in the sentences, and sentences that begin with particular words or phrases but end differently. Apart from those, Beckett offers another example of foregrounding at the end of the English version. Thus, he makes the readers aware of the fictionality of the story.

Non-finite verbs in Assamese

Non-finite verbs in Assamese

Неличные глагольные таксисные формы как средства выражения одновременности в русском языке

The paper is devoted to the analysis of the functioning of the transgressive and the infinitive as verb forms used to express the meaning of simultaneity. The aim of the study is to identify the contextual conditions for the realization of this meaning. The study is novel in that it is the first to highlight the specific conditions that determine the realization of simultaneity as opposed to non-simultaneity. As a result, it has been proved that in the Russian language, the forms of the transgressive, as well as the infinitive are able to express simultaneity. The functional-semantic field of the category of simultaneity is represented by the core, which is formed by the non-finite verb forms of the transgressive, participle, infinitive, and the periphery, which is occupied by non-verbal means of expression. The infinitive can express the meaning of simultaneity only as a part of copular constructions that include verbs of position and motion. Simultaneity representation is the main function for imperfective transgressives, while perfective transgressives require appropriate contexts, i.e. descriptive and statistical. Pseudo-simultaneity is expressed by perfective transgressives in the predicates of interpretive semantics and in postposition to the main verb.

Особенности выражения семантики будущности неличными формами английского глагола

The study aims to establish the fact of the transposition of the temporal meaning of futurality to non-finite verb forms in a certain lexico-grammatical (narrow) context. The paper presents a context-based analysis of a corpus of examples from English-language fiction in which an action expressed by a non-finite verb form possesses the meaning of the future tense. It is found that the transfer of the temporal meaning of futurality to a non-finite form occurs due to the modal connotations of verbs in a finite form combined with these non-finite verb forms. This is confirmed by transformational analysis, namely: the combination of a verb (with modal connotative semantics) with a non-finite verb form is easily transformed into a complex sentence with a future tense finite verb form (instead of a non-finite one). The scientific novelty of the study lies in establishing the fact of the transposition of the meaning of the future tense to a non-finite verb form in the construction ‘V (a verb with a modal meaning) + Ving (a non-finite verb form)’. Therefore, this construction can be considered as one of the ways of expressing the future tense in English. As a result of the study, a minimal lexico-grammatical context that promotes the transposition of the meaning of futurality from a finite verb form to a non-finite one has been established.

Bound Morpheme Errors in Undergraduate Research Articles: The Case of an English Education Department

The graduates of English education departments are supposed to possess an advanced level of English, the knowledge of which is essential when becoming educators. Consequently, it is important to recognize prevailing grammatical errors that they commit, since teaching what is essentially flawed language use may cause damaging consequences. This study examines six undergraduate research articles from an English education department to determine common errors in the use of bound morphemes, which come into focus considering their consistent occurrences. This descriptive qualitative research describes and examines the errors in both inflectional and derivational categories. The result of the study shows that the high number of errors in bound morphemes that mark a plural noun as well as present and past tense can be attributed to the similarly high number of their uses in academic writing. Also, the grammatical issues that need to be addressed are those of non-finite verb phrases and noun phrases. A conclusion that can be drawn is that the bound morpheme errors are largely preventable. Suggestions to avoid the errors are then offered.

Comparative constructions of equality in Ossetic

The study deals with equative (‘Mary is as tall as Peter’) and similative (‘Mary sings like Peter’) constructions in the Iron dialect of Ossetic. I focus on the morphosyntactic and semantic features of constructions with Standard markers -aw and χʷəžзn. The morphosyntactic criteria I am using are the part of speech of the Standard of comparison (Peter) as well as the syntactic position of the Comparee (Mary). As for the semantics, I am looking at the type of the construction — equative, similative, or predicative (She is like her sister) — and at the referential status of the Standard of comparison (specific or generic). With both markers, the Comparee can occupy a rather low syntactic position. The Standard of comparison can also be a non-finite verb form, apart from a noun phrase. The main difference between the two Standard markers is their semantics. The equative case -aw tends to be used in similative constructions and expresses a comparison of manner. The predominance of generic Standards in constructions with -aw can be explained by the scope of comparison. Referring to a predicate, the -aw form modifies an action or attribute, comparing it with another action or attribute. Comparison of the two situations as a whole allows -aw to be combined with specific Standards, which turned out to be less acceptable otherwise. The postposition χʷəžзn can occur both in equative and similative constructions; in addition, it can mark a Standard used as an attribute of the Comparee.

Do prior motion serial verbs (go) morphologize? Insights into diachrony from typology

Associated motion is a grammatical category which modifies a verbal predicate by adding a motion component such as indicating that motion took place prior to the event predicated by the verb. Many languages express prior associated motion (‘go and V’) in the form of a serial verb construction, while in other languages the same meaning is expressed morphologically. This suggests a possible diachronic link between serial verbs and affixes, but a comparison of the synchronic distributions of prior associated motion in serial verb constructions and verbal morphology reveal that such a path of grammaticalization is remarkably rare. This can be at least partially explained by temporal iconicity and a cross-linguistic suffixing bias. We conclude that prior motion serial verb constructions are relatively stable diachronically. The source of prior motion morphology is more likely other multiverb constructions, especially those with non-finite verbs where an overt morpheme marking dependency is lost to allow for a more efficient expression of this grammatical category, ultimately leading to univerbation.

Non-finite verb forms in Turkic exhibit syncretism, not multifunctionality

Abstract Non-finite verbs in Turkic are typically categorised as participles, converbs, and sometimes infinitives, with multiple uses of a form within one category considered to constitute multiple functions. This multifunctionality approach predicts that all non-finite verb forms within each of the categories should have the same range of syntactic functions. We show that this is not the case. Based on analysis of a representative set of Turkic languages (Kazakh, Kyrgyz, Sakha, Tatar, Turkish, and Tuvan), we propose a categorisation based on morphological and syntactic properties of non-finite verbs, resulting in four categories: verbal nouns, verbal adjectives, verbal adverbs, and infinitives. Under this approach, forms that are typically labelled as participles end up categorised as verbal nouns, verbal adjectives, or both, and forms that are typically labelled as converbs end up categorised as verbal adverbs, infinitives, or both. Some forms even span these two divisions. When a non-finite verb form appears to exist in multiple categories, we consider this to be a case of syncretism; this is, there is a member of one category that has the same form as a member of another category. We propose historical trajectories that may have led to the types of situations that are attested, examine the limitations of this approach, and discuss its wider implications.

Multifunctionality and syncretism in non-finite forms: an introduction

AbstractThis article is an introduction to a collection of papers discussing the identity of form and diversity of function in non-finite verb forms from a variety of perspectives. We start by illustrating the phenomenon and introducing the main functions that non-finite forms can have in the languages of the world. We provide a concise typological overview of the attested combinations of these functions and show how and to what extent these patterns are reflected in the traditional labels, such as participles, converbs, verbal nouns, and infinitives. We briefly discuss the main approaches to the phenomenon under study that have been proposed within both functional and formal frameworks. Finally, we provide a summary of the papers comprising this Special Issue, highlighting the perspectives adopted in the individual contributions.

El sujeto de las formas no personales: problemas de caracterización y orientaciones para su enseñanza

In this paper we will deal with non-finite verbs that head sentences. The infinitive, gerund and participle forms have traditionally been associated with the categories of noun, adverb, and adjective, respectively. However, such parallelism does not imply a categorial equivalence: the fact that an infinitive occupies similar contexts to those of a noun phrase does not turn into a noun. We will see that non-finite forms constructions constitute bimembral predicative structures and, therefore, have a subject, although it is conditioned by the absence of verbal inflection. To understand the properties of the subject of non-finite verbs, it is necessary to insist on three basic grammatical notions: argument structure, null subject and locality. Based on this approach, we outline a content sequencing to teach non-personal forms in secondary school and we propose a sample of possible exercises of short sequences and minimal pairs. These exercises are based on a methodology that seeks to get students to reflect on grammar by linking meaning to form.