a contrastive analysis on adverbial clauses in the two languages

Nguyễn Thị Hải Yến - K13N chapter I : introduction 1. The rational for the study Both in English and Vietnamese, adverbial clauses play an importance roles in Grammar. In this paper I would like to go detail to analysis on English and Vietnamese adverbial clauses in order to help the learner distinguish the using of adverbial clauses between the two languages. This topic can be traced back to two reasons: In the first place, adverbial clauses are widely considered the most importance type of the adverbial group. Despite the fact that most of the grammatical references have at least one part dealing with clauses of this type, learners still have difficulties understanding and using them correctly. However, there have been so few studies on such a challenging but interesting topic. In the second place, the common use of adverbial clauses both in spoken and written English and the differences existing between English and Vietnamese in this linguistic area have grabbed my attention. It is hoped that, a detailed research work, especially the one using contrastive analysis device, will satisfy any people of the same interest. 2. Aims and objectives of the study The aims of the study on English and Vietnamese adverbial clauses are to bring a more thorough comprehension of English grammar to intermediate and advanced learners. Additionally, this research is carried out with a view to helping learners of lower levels understand and use adverbial clauses correctly and this is a step to their mastery of English. The objectives of this work are : • To give a general understanding of English adverbials. • To identify and classify English adverbial clauses. • To show the linguistic characteristics of the adverbial clauses in English. 1 Nguyễn Thị Hải Yến - K13N • To work out characteristics and classification of Vietnamese adverbial clauses. • To find out similarities and differences between English and Vietnamese adverbial clauses. 3. Significance of the study This research is carried out with the hope of contributing to the mastery of English of University students and any other intermediate and advanced learners. It is also of some use to secondary students who wish to have a deep comprehension of adverbial clauses. I expect any further studies on this topic or studies on other aspects related to this one. 4. Scope of the study In doing this paper, I give general point about English adverbials much more in depth analysis of adverbial clauses is dealt with in the following part of the paper. In chapter V, a comparison is carried out between adverbial clauses in English and Vietnamese. I try my best to present logically and scientifically all aspects related to clauses of this type in both languages. The data and example in this paper are taken from reliable materials and reference books. 5. Method of the study The first methods used during the process of this work are material collecting and synthesizing with which I can reduced my work from a variety of materials and reference books by well-known English and Vietnamese scholars. This is a study on English and Vietnamese adverbials so that the main research method is based on contrastive analysis. The two steps of contrastive analysis method : description and comparison are especially of full use in chapter V dealing with adverbial clauses in the two languages. 2 Nguyễn Thị Hải Yến - K13N 6. An outline of the study My paper includes six chapter: Chapter I: Introduction Chapter II: Literature review Chapter III: English adverbial clauses Chapter IV: Vietnamese adverbial clauses Chapter V: A contrastive analysis on adverbial clauses in the two languages. Chapter VI: Conclusion. 3 Nguyễn Thị Hải Yến - K13N CHAPTER II : LITERATURE REVIEW 2.1 Definition of adverbial : In Oxford’ Advanced Learner’s Dictionary, an adverb is defined as a word that adds more information about place, time, circumstance, manner, cause, degree, etc to a verb, an adjective, a phrase or another adverb. For example: I was soon lost. He works very hard. Syntactically, an adverb may function as modifier of an adjective and adverb, for example: She received so many presents or as adverbial, which is a constituent distinct from S,V,O and C (Quirk & Greenbaum, 1987,p.126). For example: When I was in England, I drank tea with breakfast. A S V O Co Adverbials are main type of the adverb group. As one of the basic and complicate categories. According to Leech & Svartvik (1992,p.197), adverbials usually tell something extra about the action, happening or state described by the rest of the sentence Cobuid (1992) define that the adverbial is a word or a group of words that help answer the questions Where it ( the circumstance of an event or situation) occurs, how much it occurs or when it occurs. 2.2 Definition of adverbial clause : 4 Nguyễn Thị Hải Yến - K13N An adverbial clause is a clause that functions as an adverb. In other words, it contains subject (explicit or implied) and predicate, and it modifies a verb. For example: I saw Joe when I went to the store. Functionally, like an adverb, an adverbial clause modifies a verb, an adjective, another adverb or an entire clause or sentence. (Farmer et al.(1985) and Nadler & Marelli). To make it clearer, Nadler & Marelli (1971,p.115) work out the general pattern for adverbial clauses. That is Subordinator + sentence = adverbial clause. For example: Whenever you go, whatever you do, remember that your home is the best. As a main type of adverbial group, adverbial clauses bear characteristics of adverbials, i.e. they are optional and may appear in the following positions. (1) After an independent clause (2) Before an independent clause (3) Between the parts of an independent clause It should be noticed that adverbial clauses appearing in the latter two possitions are set of by commas. Following are examples of adverbial clauses in different positions: His cartoon made him more successful than he had dreamed Although he had begun as an animator, Disney actual drew few of the cartoons used in his films. Never less, adverbial clauses often occur in final position, after the main clause. 2.3. Characteristics of adverbials: 2.3.1 Syntactic functions of adverbials: In terms of syntactic functions, adverbials are viewed under three categories: a. Adjuncts: Are elements integrated within the structure of the clauses and affected by such clausal process as negation and interrogation. For example : 5 Nguyễn Thị Hải Yến - K13N He didn’t immediately recognize me. He didn’t recognize me immediately. In the negative declarative clauses, the adverbial can only come medially and finally as in “ Immediately, he didn’t recognize me.”In addition, the adverbial can be the focus of the question or the clause negation. He didn’t recognize me immediately. Did he recognize you immediately? b. Disjunctions and conjuncts : are elements which are importance in the structure of the clause and unlike adjuncts, they are not affected by such clausal processes as negation and interrogation. They can appear initially in a negative declarative clauses as in : Personally, I don’t like him. And they cannot be the focus of a question or of clause negation as in : Seriously, do you love him? I cannot stand him, after all. The distinction between them is that conjuncts have primarily a connective function. For example : To my surprise, she gave me a lot of money. Disjunction In conclusion, it is high time we joined and saved the Earth. Conjunct 2.3.2.Semantic roles of adverbials Adverbials may be placed in various semantic categories such as time, place, purpose, manner, cause, result, condition, concession and comparison. (1) Adverbials of time: Eg: She left her family years ago. (2) Adverbials of place: 6 Nguyễn Thị Hải Yến - K13N Eg : They played football on the pavement. (3) Adverbials of purpose: Eg: I come here to help you. (4) Adverbials of manner: Eg : Drive carefully! (5) Adverbials of cause( reason); Eg: Thank to your help, I could solve this problem. (6) Adverbials of result ( consequence) : Eg: You are too young to go out late at night. (7) Adverbials of condition : Eg : In case of rain, take this umbrella. (8) Adverbials of concession Eg: Despite the lack of intelligence, the poor boy managed to find way home. (9) Adverbials of degree : Eg : We are badly in need of electricity. (10) Adverbials of modality : Eg : Probably, she will come. Summary : Adverbial is a word, a phrase or a clause that tells something about the states or actions in the main clause. In term of syntactic functions, adverbial are of three types: Adjuncts, disjuncts and conjuncts. Semantically, adverbials fall into ten types : adverbials of time, place, purpose, manner, reason (cause), result (consequence), condition, condition, concession, degree and modality. CHAPTER iii: Adverbial clauses in English. 3.1 Structural types of adverbial clauses: 7 Nguyễn Thị Hải Yến - K13N Taking the variations of the clausal structures into account, I distinguish three main types of adverbial clauses. They are finite adverbial clauses, non-finite adverbial clauses and verbless adverbial clauses. 3.1.1.Finite adverbial clauses This type of adverbial clauses contains a finite verb which, according to Graver (1997,p.264), has number, person and tense. For example: She cannot speak English as well as she writes it. As he was posting the letter, he suddenly realized that he hadn’t put a stamp on the envelope. The clauses in italics contain a subject and a predicate that agrees with the subject in terms of number, person and tense. The finite adverbial clauses is always introduced by subordinators which serve to indicate the dependent status of the clauses together with its circumstantial meaning. Subordinators is taken from Quirk et al. (1979) ( 1) Simple subordinators: After, as, because, whereupon, before, but, how(ever), although, when, while, whilst, where by, like, since, that, where as, unless, until, once, etc. (2) Compound subordinators: • Ending with that : in that, so that, in order that, such that, except that, for all that, save that, etc. • Ending with optional that: now(that), providing(that), seeing(that), provided(that), supposing(that),considering(that),given(that),granted(that),granting(that), admitting (that), assuming (that), immediately (that), directly (that), etc. • Ending with as : as far as, as long as, as soon as, according as, etc. • Ending with than: sooner than (+ infinitive clauses) , rather than (+ non-finite or verbless clauses) • Other : as if, as though, in case 8 Nguyễn Thị Hải Yến - K13N (3). Correlative subordinators: More/ less than, as as, so as, so that, such as, such that, no sooner than, whether or, etc. Adverbs like “still, anyhow” and the coordinate conjunction “yet” may occur with subordinate conjunction of concession: although, even though, though forming correlative conjunctions. For example: As he didn’t understand, he asked the teacher to explain the question. So as not to wake the children up, we went out on tiptoe. No sooner had she put up her umbrella than the rain came down in torrents. Though the doctor had given him strict instructions to stay in bed, yet he went on to work. 3.1.2 Non-finite adverbial clauses The non-finite adverbial clause, in contrast with the finite one, has no distinction of person, number. In the other words, it always has the ability to go without a subject, although in many kinds of non-finite clauses, subject is optional. This general statement helps us classify non-finite adverbial clauses in two groups : non-finite adverbial clauses without subject and the one with subject. 3.1.2.1 Non-finite adverbial clauses without subject • Infinitive clauses with to In order to get money, he committed the robbery. • -ing participle clauses Being the eldest child in the family, she had to drop out of school and earn a living. • -ed participle clauses When seen in this light, the matter is not as serious as people generally suppose. 9 Nguyễn Thị Hải Yến - K13N 3.1.2.2 Non-finite adverbial clauses with a subject / absolute clauses Sometimes the participle clause contains own subject, in which case the construction is called Absolute clause by Quirk et.al (1979) and Grave(1997).For example: The holiday being over, we must now get down to some hard work. Rather than he do it, I’d prefer to give the job to her. When the subject of the participle clauses is expressed, it is often introduced by “with” or “without”. For example : I wouldn’t dare go home without the job finished With the case investigated carefully, the police finally caught the murderer. 3.1.3 Verbless adverbial clauses : In Quirk et.al(1979), verbless clauses, a part from being verbless, are also commonly subject less. Looking at the following example : Whether right or wrong, he always comes of the worst in argument. One should avoid taking a trip abroad in August where possible. We can see that, the missing elements are the subject and a form of the verb BE. The ellipted subject in verbless clauses, like the one in non-finite clauses, is the subject of the superordinate. Thus, these example can be restated : Whether he is right or wrong, he always comes of the worst in argument. One should avoid taking a trip abroad in August where it is possible. The adverbial clauses can follow “ with” or “without”. For example : With the whole meeting in uproar, the chairman abandoned the attempt to take a vote. Without a tear on her face, the girl watched him led away. 3.2 Semantic roles of adverbial clauses One important way in which adverbial clauses can be sub-classified is according to the semantic values they can perform such as : Time, place, concession, contrast, reason and 10 [...]... Semantically, Vietnamese adverbial clauses belong to one of the following groups: 4.1 Adverbial clauses of time 4.2 Adverbial clauses of place 4.3 Adverbial clauses of reason or cause 4.4 Adverbial clauses of result 4.5 Adverbial clauses of purpose 4.6 Adverbial clauses of condition and concession 4.7 Adverbial clauses of manner and comparison 4.8 Adverbial clauses of level and emphasis 4.1 Adverbial. .. So that Sothat, suchthat In the way (that) As if, as though as Asso, thethe Ratherthan, soonerthan CHAPTER IV: ADVERBIAL CLAUSES IN VIETNAMESE 24 Nguyn Th Hi Yn - K13N Like the adverbial clause in English, the Vietnamese adverbial clause is a main type of the adverbial group and subordinate clauses Thus, before examining adverbial clauses in Vietnamese, I would like to have a look at adverbials in general... ellipsis Furthermore, adverbial elliptical clauses have main features of the whole family of adverbial clauses, that is, they perform the same semantic roles as the adverbial clause and as far as structure is concerned, they may also fall into three subclasses : finite, nonfinite and verbless clauses 3.3.1 Finite adverbial elliptical clauses: Finite clauses may be analyzed into S, V, O, C, A Among these... time clauses For example : He came back an hour later, By which time his friends had already left (b) Non-finite adverbial clauses of time Instead of using a finite clause, we can use non-finite adverbial clauses including : ing clauses and ed clauses Despite the common position at the beginning of the sentence, clauses of time can appear medially or finally Ing clauses may follow : after, before, since,... at another example: I never did go to that place although I probably should have( gone to that place) As can be seen from the example, the use of contrasting tenses help the speaker attract the hearers attention on the idea that he should have gone to that place From the points mentioned above, I come to the conclusion that the adverbial elliptical clause is a type of adverbial clauses which contains... synthesizing as well as comparing information from some reference books is undertaken in order to identify the similarities and differences between the two languages 5.1 Similarities * Similarity in definition English and Vietnamese scholars define adverbial clauses in nearly the same way Adverbial clauses refer to the circumstances of the actions or states mentioned in the main clause and the act as subordinate... the act as subordinate elements of the sentence Besides, English and Vietnamese also share similarities in position, semantic classification and subordinators * Similarity in position In the two languages, adverbial clauses can appear in initial, medial and final position However, in English, the final position is often seen and in Vietnamese, the initial position is preferred For example: "Khi nghe... emphasis, to which no English grammarians have referred These different types will be restated when we discuss the differences between the two languages * Similarity in the use of subordinators Despite the fact that adverbial clauses may go with or without a subordinator, in both languages, the subordinator is an importance part of adverbial clauses in the sense that a subordinator acts as a device connecting... Look at the example : Infuriated by the interruptions, the speaker refused to continue Here, we can insert any of the following subordinators : after, when, whenever, once, as soon as, etc Before the adverbial clause and, accordingly, the meaning of the sentence changes Clause of this type are not all equally mobile despite their adverbial nature Many of them are completely free in their location, like... conjunctions as when or after( preposition) are used to link two clauses in a complex sentence Meanwhile, in Vietnamese, the preposition sau is combined with the conjunction khi to introduced the subordinate clauses Other conjunctions : trong khi, trớc khi, trong lúc, trớc lúc, gi a lúc etc are formed in the same way and express the time relation between actions and states mentioned in the clauses Another . clauses Chapter IV: Vietnamese adverbial clauses Chapter V: A contrastive analysis on adverbial clauses in the two languages. Chapter VI: Conclusion. 3 Nguyễn. of adverbial clauses. They are finite adverbial clauses, non-finite adverbial clauses and verbless adverbial clauses. 3.1.1.Finite adverbial clauses This