English Relative Clauses Research Articles

The influence of language proficiency on processing reduced relative clauses by Korean learners of English

The current study investigates the late second language (L2) learners’ reading behaviors when they process temporarily ambiguous reduced relative clauses in English, using both on-line self-paced reading task and off-line grammaticality judgment task. Importantly, it also explores how L2 proficiency affects the learners’ processing patterns during on-line comprehension. Results obtained from both tasks revealed that the syntactic processing significantly differed depending on L2 proficiency, indicating only the higher-proficiency learners were able to recover from garden-paths. This study also has an implication on the relation between linguistic knowledge and performance in L2 processing.

Korean Learners’ Disambiguation of Relative Clauses in English: An Eye Tracking Approach

Korean Learners’ Disambiguation of Relative Clauses in English: An Eye Tracking Approach

A Syntactic Analysis of English Relative Clauses Used by Korean EFL Speakers: A Corpus-Based Study

A Syntactic Analysis of English Relative Clauses Used by Korean EFL Speakers: A Corpus-Based Study

Free choice free relative clauses in Italian and Romanian

This paper aims to bring back to the linguistic scene a largely neglected character that is encountered in Italian and Romanian. This character exhibits a novel combination of morphological, syntactic, semantic, and pragmatic features that, separately, are already attested across languages. It looks like an embedded non-interrogative wh-clause introduced by a wh-phrase that is either made of or contains a wh-root with an affix: the suffix -unque in Italian or the prefix ori- in Romanian. We show that this construction exhibits the same morpho-syntactic properties as -ever free relative clauses in English and the same semantic and pragmatic properties as headed relative clauses introduced by the free choice determiner any in English. Therefore, we label our character a free choice free relative clause. We argue for a syntactic analysis of free choice free relative clauses as true free relatives rather than headed relatives and for a semantic analysis along the lines of some recent proposals about related free choice constructions. We also discuss the meaning of wh-words occurring in free choice free relatives and in related constructions and emphasize the importance of not taking for granted that morpho-syntactic identity necessarily coincides with semantic and pragmatic identity across languages.

An Article Review: Impact of Explicit Instruction on EFL Learners’ Implicit and Explicit Knowledge: A Case of English Relative Clauses

An Article Review: Impact of Explicit Instruction on EFL Learners’ Implicit and Explicit Knowledge: A Case of English Relative Clauses

Korean EFL Learners’ Production of English Relative Clauses

Korean EFL Learners’ Production of English Relative Clauses

PERBEDAAN ANTARA KLAUSA SUBORDINATIF BAHASA INDONESIA DAN BAHASA INGGRIS

The aim of this study was to describe the difference between subordinate in Indonesian and in English viewed from subordinate clause theory from Jim Miller. This study used qualitative descriptive approach. Primary data of this study were written texts containing sentences and clauses in English and Indonesian the corpus of which was selected from academic texts. Data were collected using record. Segmenting immediate constituent was used to analyze the data. The research revealed that Indonesian has neither elliptic conjunction in all relative and adverbial clauses nor non-finite subordinate clauses. English has no elliptic conjunction only in relative clauses showing possessiveness and all adverbial clauses except for time and result but has non-finite subordinate clauses. Indonesian has no relative clause elliptic conjunction non-finite subordinate clause. English relative clause elliptic conjunction is available and empty elliptic conjunction in all adverbial clauses appear. English has non-finite subordinate clauses.

The Comprehension of English Relative Clauses by Arabic-Speaking EFL Learners

This study investigates the extent to which 50 Arabic-speaking EFL learners comprehend English relative clauses (RCs). It also aims to test which relative pronoun among the seven pronouns we are investigating is the easiest to comprehend and which is the most problematic. Furthermore, it aims to measure whether the English proficiency level of the participants affects their performance on the test. Therefore, a multiple-choice test was administered in order to examine their comprehension of this complex syntactic structure. The participants were asked to choose the correct answer out of four choices. The results demonstrate that Arabic-speaking EFL learners may not be fully aware of English relative clauses (total percentage= 48.5%). The t-test shows that the English proficiency level affected the participants’ performance on the test. Consequently, there is a significant difference between the answers of the advanced learners (ALs) (61.3%) and those of the intermediate learners (ILs) (35.6%). Moreover, the results reveal that the easiest relative pronoun to comprehend is the pronoun when, and the most difficult one is the pronoun whom. This study accounts for these difficulties and concludes with pedagogical implications and recommendations for further research.

Revisiting the system of English relative clauses: structure, semantics, discourse functionality

The goal of this article is to uncover the system underlying three types of English relative clauses, and to characterise their distinctive uses in discourse: NP-integrated ones, namely restrictive and ‘a-restrictive’ relative clauses, and non-integrated ones, represented by non-restrictive relatives.The area at issue is central, since understanding the functioning of these constructions requires reference to the fundamental interface between grammar (language system) and discourse (language use). The discourse functions of the three subtypes of relatives are claimed to be underlain by their intrinsic morphosyntactic and semantic properties. A major aim is to highlight the relative degree of ‘communicative dynamism’ of each subtype of relative clause, in terms of its respective contribution to the construction of discourse.In doing so, the article focuses on the distinctive properties of presupposed as well as non-presupposed restrictive relatives, and of definite as well as indefinite NPs containing integrated relatives more generally. Along the way, it critically examines certain controversial conceptions of the structural and functional features of the constructions at issue, and, in particular, the claim that there is no essential distinction to be drawn between ‘integrated’ and phrase-external relative clause subtypes at all.

한국인 L2 학습자의 영어 관계절 습득 양상에 관한 연구

한국인 L2 학습자의 영어 관계절 습득 양상에 관한 연구

Acquisition of Zero Relative Clauses in English by Adult Turkish Learners of English

Studies on acquisition of relative clauses by first and second language learners have evoked considerable interest in recent decades. In line with such studies, in this present study we aim to show the possible effect of first language (Turkish) on second language (English) in zero relative clause constructions. English uses certain stranded prepositions in zero relative clauses, whereas Turkish uses the same suffix in non-subject relative clause constructions. This observation in two typologically different languages led the study to claim that Turkish word order in non-subject relative clauses affects the acquisition of zero relative clauses in English. Fifty sentences in Turkish were prepared and composed of five categories. Each category consisted of ten sentences. Each category referred to one of the five cases in Turkish. These cases were accusative, locative, ablative, dative and instrumental. The participants (N=91) were asked to translate these Turkish sentences into English. The results showed that the participants tended to omit prepositions in English zero relative clauses except the construction that did not entail any preposition. Therefore, the study implies that Turkish language learners may be under the effect of their mother tongue while producing zero relative clauses in English.

Noun Phrase Accessibility Hierarchy: A Corpus-driven Quest for Order of Difficulty in L2 English Relative Clause Acquisition

Noun Phrase Accessibility Hierarchy: A Corpus-driven Quest for Order of Difficulty in L2 English Relative Clause Acquisition

RELATIVE CLAUSES FROM ENGLISH TO ALBANIAN

This paper aims to describe the use of relative clauses in English and Albanian by comparing different clause types. Some theoretical issues addressed in this article include the definition of relative clauses, the relativized elements, and the use of relative pronouns and adverbs in both languages. Distinctions and similarities are identified by analyzing the way in which these clauses are translated from English into Albanian. The theoretical part is illustrated by examples extracted from “Animal Farm” by George Orwell and “Pride and Prejudice” by Jane Austin, and their translated versions in Albanian, “Ferma e Kafshëve” and “Krenari dhe Paragjykime”.

On the Nature of Wh-word in English Non-Restrictive Relative Clauses

646. This paper raises a question on exactly what the nature of Wh-word in English Non-Restrictive Relative Clauses (NRRCs) is, as opposed to that in Restrictive Relative Clauses (RRCs). Other than being equipped with a Wh-element in common, there exist overwhelming asymmetries between English RRCs and NRRCs. Based on the generalizations and disparities between RRCs and NRRCs brought forward in the literature (Quirk, et. al. 1972, 1985, Borsley 1992, Kayne 1994, Borsley 1997, McCawley, 1998, Lobeck, 2000, De Vries 2002, 2006, Aoun & Li 2003, Authier & Reed 2005, Arnold & Borsley 2008) this paper examines the nature of Wh-word in English NRRCs, which has long been neglected in the generative syntax field. We argue that the Wh-word heading NRRCs is not a Wh-Operator since it shows no signature properties of (linguistic) operators; no WCO effect, no Reconstruction effect, no quantificational properties (Aoun & Li 2003, Authier & Reed 2005), whereas the Wh-word in RRC is. The formal features of the Wh-phrase in NRRC are lacking (Law 2000), so that it is argued here to be a deficient Wh-exp, or Wh-expletive with the minimal features. All in all, we argue that the Wh-word heading NRRC is not Wh-operator and the construction is a relative in disguise.

Syntactic Complexity at the Intermediate Level in EFL Writing by Early Balanced Bilinguals

Syntactic Complexity at the Intermediate Level in EFL Writing by Early Balanced Bilinguals

Bilingual deaf readers' use of semantic and syntactic cues in the processing of English relative clauses.

Eye fixation measures were used to examine English relative clause processing by adult ASL-English bilingual deaf readers. Participants processed subject relative clauses faster than object relative clauses, but expected animacy cues eliminated processing difficulty in object relative clauses. This brings into question previous claims that deaf readers' sentence processing strategies are qualitatively different from those of hearing English native speakers. Measures of English comprehension predicted reading speed, but not differences in syntactic processing. However, a trend for ASL self-ratings to predict the ability to handle syntactic complexity approached significance. Results suggest a need to explore how objective ASL proficiency measures might provide insights into deaf readers' ability to exploit syntactic cues in English.

Examining the Learnability of English Relative Clauses: Evidence from Kuwaiti EFL Learners

<p>This study aims to test the extent to which 120 Kuwaiti EFL learners are aware of the structure of relative clauses in English through measuring their ability to produce this structure. It also checks whether the English proficiency level of the participants plays a role in their answers on the test. For this purpose, a sentence combination task was used to measure the participants’ ability to produce correct relative clauses in English. This test was selected in order to examine the types of error made by the participants pertinent to relative clauses in English. The results reveal that Kuwaiti EFL learners may not be fully aware of the formation rules of relative clauses in English (total mean=60.4%). The t-test shows that the English proficiency level affected the participants' answers on the test. Specifically, there were statistically significant differences between the answers of the advanced (76.3%) and intermediate learners (44.4%). The number of errors made by the advanced learners was less than that made by the intermediate learners. Regarding the types of error made by the participants, the most noticeable ones were: deletion of the relative pronoun, wrong relative pronoun, repetitive use of resumptive pronouns, passivisation of the relative clause and problems with the indirect object and genitive relative clauses. The researcher analysed the participants' erroneous answers and provided potential reasons to account for them. Finally, the study concludes with some pedagogical implications and recommendations for further research.</p>

Typical Errors in L1-Thai Speakers’ English Relative Clauses

Typical Errors in L1-Thai Speakers’ English Relative Clauses

English relative clauses in science and engineering journal papers: A comparative corpus-based study for pedagogical purposes

This corpus-based study presents how English relative clauses are used in science and engineering journal papers. Relative clauses ensure semantic clarity and textual variety but they cause difficulty to non-native speakers of English due to their diverse uses and functions. With pedagogical purposes in mind, this research investigates how frequently and in what context relative clauses are employed in three representative science and engineering journals, namely CELL, Journal of American Chemical Society, and IEEE Journal of Solid-State Circuits. In addition, relative clauses used in papers of English for Specific Purposes are investigated and compared with those in the science and engineering journal papers, to reveal the similarities and differences between them. Some unique features of relative clauses used in science and engineering journal papers are identified, such as the frequent use of relative clauses, the high frequency of non-restrictive relative clauses in the papers of Journal of American Chemical Society and Journal of Solid-State Circuits, the high proportion of ‘prepositions + which,’ and the extremely high use of ‘that’ over ‘which’ for restrictive relative clauses. Pedagogical suggestions are provided to help science and engineering paper authors and ESP/EAP practitioners use and teach relative clauses in an efficient way.

Extraposition is disappearing

This study describes a change in which relative clause extraposition is in the process of being lost in English, Icelandic, French, and Portuguese. This current change in progress has never been observed before, probably because it is so slow that it is undetectable without the aid of multiple diachronic parsed corpora (treebanks) with time depths of over 500 years each. Building on insights from Kiparsky (1995), the study shows that the change may date as far back as the innovation of Proto-Germanic and Proto-Romance relative clauses, as these varieties differentiated from Proto-Indo-European. It also shows that the unusually slow speed of the change is due to partial specialization of the construction along the dimension of prosodic weight, following the argument made at greater length in Fruehwald & Wallenberg 2016. Finally, the change is shown to have important consequences for the syntax of extraposition, supporting the adjunction analysis of Culicover and Rochemont (1990). The article also discusses the implications of Sauerland’s (2003) analysis of English relative clauses, and while modern English data supports his analysis, the diachronic extraposition data is not yet fine-grained enough to bear on the ‘raising’ analysis of relatives in general. This is identified as an important question for further research on this change.