a study on english conditional sentences in the call of the wild with reference to vietnamese equivalents

LIST OF CHARTS Chart 3.1 Classification of the first conditional Chart 3.2 The frequency of basic types of conditionals sentences in the novel 47 Chart 3.3 The appearance of modal verbs

Rationale for the study

Nowadays, English is becoming increasingly important and widely used around the world As a result, more and more people are taking the time to learn English as a second language No one can deny the importance of learning English in all areas of life, such as education, tourism, business, science, and technology English is not only a communication tool for the international integration process but also the key to opening opportunities for learning, employment, and personal development However, for many Vietnamese people who have studied English for a long time, understanding grammar, sentence structure, vocabulary, and pronunciation still seems to be a barrier

In terms of English grammar, from the author's point of view, conditional sentences in English pose a significant challenge for Vietnamese learners Initially, the complex structure of the conditional sentences with two accompanying clauses includes the subordinate clause “if”, and the main clause is the result clause In addition, many other structures of conditional sentences can replace “if”, so learners need to rely on the context to determine the appropriate types of conditional sentences Additionally, all types of conditional sentences are a combination of tenses and a variety of modal verbs Therefore, using and comprehending conditional sentences in both English and Vietnamese effectively is a challenging endeavor that requires judgment in addition to linguistic proficiency and a solid foundation of general and specialized knowledge Last but not least, comparing with previous researches, this is the first research focusing on studying conditional sentences in "The Call of the Wild" and their equivalents in Vietnamese Previous studies may have examined conditional sentences in different contexts but not in this novel This is an important gap that needs to be filled.

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For the above reasons, the author selected “A study on English Conditional Sentences in “The Call of the Wild” with Reference to Vietnamese Equivalents” for this graduation paper The main purpose of this paper is to investigate the English conditional sentences in terms of their structures and uses, and then find out all types of conditional sentences in this novel and the equivalents in Vietnamese After that, the author will discuss some implications for Vietnamese teachers and learners on how to translate English conditional sentences The writer hopes that both English teachers and students will find this to be a helpful resource.

Aims and objectives of the study

Conditional sentences are a type of sentence with a complex structure in terms of formal characteristics and tense coordination between clauses because

“Conditional (if-then) constructions directly reflect the characteristically human ability to reason about alternative situations, to make inferences based on incomplete information, to imagine possible correlations between situations, and to understand how the world would change if certain correlations were different.” (E.C Traugott, A.T Meulen, J.S Reilly and C.A Ferguson) [1, p.3] This special ability is closely related to cognitive processes, emotional expression, and linguistic abilities Thus, the study of conditional sentences falls under the category of many different disciplines such as, linguistics, science, philology, and so on

This study was conducted to analyze and evaluate the use of conditional sentences in the novel “The Call of the Wild” by Jack London and their equivalents in Vietnamese Then, the author will give an overview of the conditional sentences used in the work By the way, the research will systematize the frequency and number of types of conditional sentences employed in this novel, examine sentence structure and grammatical characteristics At the same time, the research also shows the meaning of using conditional sentence types

Copies for internal use only in Phenikaa University depending on the context of the novel, such as deterrence, prediction, and laws of nature

Through comparing and analyzing conditional sentences in both English and Vietnamese through a group of translators’s translation, including Manh Chuong, Lam Hoai, and Vo Quang This study also highlights differences in linguistic expression due to different cultural contexts between the two countries Then, the study provides English learners with a thorough understanding of conditional sentences and some strategies to help them overcome obstacles when translating them

This thesis was conducted to point out the grammatical features of conditional sentences in Jack London's novel “The Call of the Wild” and their Vietnamese equivalents To accomplish the study's goals, the author has established certain objectives that must be met during the research process:

Firstly, the types of conditional sentences employed by the author in the novel

“The Call of the Wild” and their Vietnamese equivalents are classified

Secondly, the grammatical features of the types of conditional sentences used in this novel and their equivalents in Vietnamese are identified

Thirdly, the features of modal verbs in conditional sentences used in the original English text of this novel are discussed

Lastly, some implications for teaching, learning, and translating English conditional sentences are recommended

This study not only gathers knowledge and grammatical categories about conditional sentences but also offers some suggestions to help English teachers and learners, mainly Vietnamese, have a deeper understanding of how to use conditional sentences Using conditional sentences in the novel “The Call of the Wild” by Jack London, learners can firmly grasp English grammar knowledge as well as improve foreign language skills, specifically knowledge of sentences and

Copies for internal use only in Phenikaa University conditions in the teaching and learning process By the way, the research also provides Vietnamese learners of English with some pragmatic knowledge to overcome difficulties in translating conditional sentences depending on context and communication situations By researching conditional sentences, the author hopes that this will be a useful thesis for those who are teaching and learning English, as well as receive more interest and attention for the next research.

Scope of the study

Based on the nature of the thesis, 34 conditional sentences were found and classified according to the different types of conditional sentences in the novel

“The Call of the Wild” Owing to time constraints, the author primarily concentrates on exploiting the grammatical features of each type of conditional sentence in this novel, including analyzing structures, grammatical functions, and modal verbs employed by Jack London

Through studying the conditional sentences in the original text and their Vietnamese equivalents, the author also investigates how these conditional sentences are translated into Vietnamese, examining the similarities and differences in conveying content from the source language to the target language Furthermore, by studying this work, readers can refer to how Jack London uses conditional sentences, flexibly applies the art of storytelling and narrative style, exploits and makes the most of model verbs to help the story become more coherent and convincing in the hearts of readers

In conclusion, the scope of this thesis focuses solely on Jack London's novel “The Call of the Wild” and its Vietnamese translated version As a result, this study would shed light on how conditional sentences are used in “The Call of the Wild” and offer some recommendations to help Vietnamese learners who are interested in the translation field avoid some mistakes in translation research through literary works

Significance of the study

It is hoped that this research paper will contribute to a deep understanding of conditional sentences so that teachers and foreign language learners can better understand the complexity of conditional sentences through analyzing the structure, linguistic features, and usage of English conditional sentences and Vietnamese equivalents in the novel “The Call of the Wild” as well as in other literary documents Furthermore, the results of the research are a valuable contribution to the study of conditional sentences; foreign language teachers can use these research findings in the teaching process to improve their teaching methods and help students absorb knowledge more effectively By studying the conditional sentences in “The Call of the Wild” and their translated versions, translators and English learners can gain a deeper understanding of conditional sentences and how they are expressed in both languages Finally, this thesis plays an important role in improving foreign language skills by determining what information needs to be conveyed depending on different situations and communication languages

Design of the study

The study is divided into three main parts as follows:

The first part is the Introduction The author provides basic information such as the rationale, purpose, research questions, scope, significance, method, and design of the study

The second part is the Development of the study, which covers four chapters:

LITERATURE REVIEW

Review of theoretical background

Sentence has been defined by many different grammarians For instance, L.G Alexander [2, p.2] stated that “A sentence is a complete unit of meaning When we speak, our sentences may be extremely involved or even unfinished, yet we can still convey our meaning through intonation, gesture, facial expression, etc When we write, these devices are not available, so sentences have to be carefully structured and punctuated A written sentence must begin with a capital letter and end with a full stop (.), a question mark (?) or an exclamation mark (!).” A sentence can take any one of the four forms:

 A statement: The flight took off at 4:00 p.m

 A question: Have you ever attended this concert?

 A command: Shut down the computer, please!

 An exclamation: How skilled you are!

According to A.T Iriskulov [3, p.44] wrote “a sentence is a unit of speech whose grammatical structure conforms to the laws of the language and which serves as the chief means of conveying a thought A sentence is not only a means of communicating something about reality but also a means of showing the speaker's attitude to it.’’

In addition, Roloff and Brosseit [4] suggested an idea: sentence is a group of words that conveys a complete meaning; including a statement, a question, a command or an exclamation

Furthermore, a sentence may alternatively be seen as comprising five units called elements of structure: subject, verb, complement, object, and adverbial abbreviated respectively as S, V, C, O, A (Randolph Quirk and Sidney Greenbaum) [5]

In short, a sentence is a complete set of words, combined together according to certain syntactic relationships, usually containing a subject and predicate Each sentence consists of a main clause and sometimes one or more subordinate clauses used to express a complete thought, associated with a certain communicative purpose

Sentences are divided into various categories They are classified according to the purpose of the utterance and the structure a Sentences are classified according to their purpose

According to the purpose of the utterance, there are four kinds of sentences that can be distinguished They are the declarative sentence (statements), the interrogative sentence (questions), the imperative sentence (requests, orders or commands), and the exclamatory sentence (exclamations)

The purpose of the declarative sentences is to express information or state a fact in affirmative and negative form A declarative sentence usually begins with a subject and is followed by a verb If the verb is transitive, additional elements, such as direct objects can be added to provide more specific information Declarative sentences are pronounced with a falling intonation at the end of the sentence

Michael Portan graduated from Harvard University in July 2018

They don't need anything from us - not even money

The purpose of the interrogative sentence is to answer questions about a certain issue to find an answer, as indicated by the questions Generally, interrogative sentences end with a question mark and have a rising intonation at the end of the sentence (interrogative intonation) There are four kinds of questions: general, specific, alternative, and disjunctive

Will you go to school tomorrow?

How long have you been Da Nang?

The purpose of the imperative sentence is to request or recommend that the listener perform a certain action Imperative sentences can end with a period or exclamation point, and the verbs are in the form of imperative mood (infinitive without “to”) The imperative sentences are pronounced with a falling intonation at the end of the sentence

Don’t forget to turn off all the lights and fans before going out

The purpose of the exclamation sentence is to directly express the speaker's

(writer's) feelings about something They usually start with question words like What and How The exclamatory How (an adjective or an adverb) emphasizes a verb, an adjective or an adverb, whereas What (a noun or a pronoun) is used with reference to a noun or a noun phrase They are generally spoken with a falling intonation

How hot is the weather in summer!

How lucky you are! b Sentences are classified according to the structure

According to the structure, there are four basic types of sentences: simple sentences, complex sentences, compound sentences and compound – complex sentences

A Simple sentence is one that consists of one independent clause However, the subject in a simple sentence can be a simple subject or a compound subject [5] Sentences can be classified into seven types:

SVA: Peter is in the shopping center

SVO: Somebody stole the wallet

SVOA: They play football on the playground

SVOC: My son made me so angry when he broke the vase

SVOO: My best friend gave me a special gift for my birthday

A compound sentence is a type of sentence consisting of two or more independent clauses joined by coordinating conjunctions to convey the meaning of the connection or correlation between the clauses Each independent clause contains at least one subject and one verb, can stand alone as a sentence, and expresses a complete meaning

The common coordinating conjunctions are as follows: but, or, yet, so, and, either, not only but also , etc Except for very short sentences, coordinating conjunctions are always preceded by a comma

Not only does she sing well, but she also draws very well

We like playing badminton, but we don’t like playing soccer

The three sentences mentioned above are compound sentences There are two independent clauses in every sentence, connected by a comma preceding it

A complex sentence is a sentence that contains more than one clause, which includes an independent clause (the main clause) and at least one subordinate clause

It is often accompanied by subordinating conjunctions, such as because, although, while, or relative pronouns (which, who, whom, etc.)

Although Hoa studied hard, she did not pass the exam

They couldn’t join the meeting because they were late

A compound – complex sentence seems to be a complicated sentence in

As В Л Каушанская, Р Л Ковнер, О Н Кожевникова С Е Сквирская [6] pointed out that a compound – complex sentence is a sentence that contains two or more coordinate clauses, one or several subordinate clauses

You will miss the train and you will not get to class on time/ if you get up late Compound sentence adverbial clause of condition

Thus, a conditional sentence is a complex sentence expressing an assumption Because it contains at least two clauses: a main clause and a subordinate clause The “if clause” plays the role of establishing conditions for the main clause to create results, expressing the dependence of one or more situations on other situations These two clauses are connected by subordinating conjunctions such as if or unless

1.1.2 An overview of conditional sentences

Some authors have mentioned the definition of the English conditional sentence in their book Therefore, it has been defined by many linguists

To begin with, Nick Brieger and Simon Sweeney [7] pointed out that The sentences with conditions are typically employed to examine the connection between occurrences and their outcomes

Furthermore, Collins Cobuild [8] stated an idea: sentences that contain conditional clauses are commonly referred to as conditional sentences According to him, conditional clauses start with "if" or with conjunctions that are comparable to "unless"

Another definition of conditional sentences, Scott Thonbury [9] said: conditional sentences express imaginary or hypotherical situations (hypothetical meaning) They usually contain a modal verbs, a main and conditional clause, and a subordinate clause, typically beginning with if or unless The conditional clause expresses the condition on which the situation is described in the main clause For example:

If I were you, I would quit the job

Here the condition is expressed by the clause “If I were you”, while the consequence is expressed by “ I would quit the job’’

Thus, there are various perspectives on conditional sentences, encompassing their functions, roles, and constituent elements However, from all the definitions given above, we can easily understand that: Conditional sentences are used to express a situation, an event that will occur, and its consequence In terms of grammar, a conditional sentence is a type of complex sentence consisting of two parts: the conditional clause (the if clause) and the main clause (without if) In particular, the subordinate clause (also known as the if clause) expresses the condition, and the main clause expresses the result

If it doesn’t rain, I won’t bring a raincoat

Previous studies

1.2.1 Previous studies in other countries

There are many research projects on conditional sentences that have been conducted by linguists around the world from articles, scientific research works to books The authors mainly focus on conducting to highlight the difficulties and mistakes that learners face when translating conditional sentences from the source language to the target language

For example, R.Y Siregar, A.Q Bulolo and E Saragih [13] investigated

“Grammar Error Analysis in Translating Conditional Sentences from Indonesian into English” They pointed out that learners do not firmly grasp the knowledge of conditional sentences, which is one of the major obstacles, causing many difficulties in learning and practicing The variety of verb tenses in the past,

Copies for internal use only in Phenikaa University present and future hypotheses sometimes make learners confused In addition, although there are many conditional conjunctions that can replace "if" and

"unless", learners do not pay much attention In another research, S Fatimah [14] showed that one of the difficulties affecting the process of translating conditional sentences into a second language is that learners do not firmly grasp the basic knowledge about pragmatic functions and situational contexts

In order to help learners understand the role and function of pragmatics in the field of translation, according to J.C Richards and R Schmidt [15], pragmatics is a branch of linguistics that studies how language is used through various aspects, including the relationship between sentences and contexts, the speech arts, and the culture of languages

In Vietnam, N.K Ha [16] discussed and explained all the types of Vietnamese prototype conditions She has had many research projects that have contributed greatly to the field of language research in Vietnam Furthermore, N.T.N Hoa [17] carried out the research “A study of English - Vietnamese translation of conditional sentences” Through the research, the authors suggested some ways to help Vietnamese English learners overcome difficulties when translating English conditional sentences In another study, T.T.N Du [18] mentioned conditional speech acts in English and Vietnamese

In conclusion, the chapter gives an overall understanding of the concept of conditional sentences, including the definition, grammatical characteristics and tenses of verbs as well as the theories to compare conditional sentences between English and Vietnamese The chapter offers the important theoretical basis for the following discussions and research in Chapter 2

METHODOLOGY

Research - governing orientations

To achieve the research aims, the author has developed the following three questions to guide the process of carrying out this research:

1 How many types of conditional sentences are employed in the novel “The Call of the Wild” ?

2 What are the grammatical features of the conditional sentences used in the novel and their Vietnamese equivalents?

3 What are the functions of modal verbs in conditional sentences used in the original English text of this novel?

The thesis paper is conducted to provide a deeper understanding of English conditional sentences and the application of conditional sentences in “The Call of the Wild” by Jack London since there are only a few instances where research has been conducted on the conditional sentences in the novel by quantitative approach

Jack London is known as one of the most famous American writers He has contributed many masterpieces to world literature One of his best works is “The Call of the Wild” First published in 1903, “The Call of the Wild” is considered a novel that attracts many readers because of the humanistic values it brings

The story is about the adventurous journey of Buck - a dog mixed between a Bernard and a Scotch Collie From a noble dog that was reluctantly stolen, Buck was forced to work as a sled dog and eventually became the leader dog of a pack of wild wolves During the days of domination in the Northern lands, Buck learned many lessons to survive under the rule of those holding batons and rules in a herd of the wild world Changing circumstances force all things to change, so does Buck What Bac experienced is also one of the messages the author conveyed in the story: each of us needs to have the courage to survive in all circumstances, always live courageously and kindly, believe in myself and never

Copies for internal use only in Phenikaa University give up In short, “The Call of the Wild” is a meaningful and valuable literary masterpiece by Jack London

The Vietnamese translated version of “The Call of the Wild” is a valuable source of material for this research paper To serve the learning and teaching process, a short excerpt of the novel was introduced by Vietnam Education Publishing House Limited Company in the literature textbook 9, volume II with the title

“Con chó Bấc” We can easily find the complete Vietnamese version in the book

“Tiếng gọi của hoang dã” translated by a group of translators, including Manh Chuong, Lam Hoai and Vo Quang [19]

In order to better analyze the characteristics of conditional sentence types as well as their frequency of appearance in the novel "The Call of the Wild" by Jack London and its Vietnamese equivalent, the researcher analyzed the book "The Call of the Wild" by Jack London and its Vietnamese equivalent This novel is based on quantitative research methods to be able to provide the most accurate analytical results as well as achieve the research purpose

To implement this method, the author has selected and collected all the conditional sentences that appear in the original version of this novel For the Vietnamese translation, the writer searched and selected the corresponding conditional sentences in the translation of the novel's conditional sentences Based on structure and semantics, conditional sentences are divided into each type To make the research process easier and save time, the writer also converted the data into digital form and performed calculations to accurately determine the percentage as well as the frequency of appearance of the object of the study

To illustrate more clearly, the author used charts corresponding to numbers and percentages Therefore, in chapter 3, there are 4 charts used to illustrate the results that the author discovered during the research process

Research methods

As mentioned above, to achieve the research goal, the researcher used some of the following research methods

Classification and System Method: This is the first method used in this research process Because the main content of this research article focuses on conditional sentences, the author will carefully select, classify, and arrange all

“if” sentences appearing in “The Call of the Wild” throughout the original text and its translated version In addition, the form “if” is also replaced by other expressions in the novel, such as or/or else, long as, but for, etc

Method of Description - Analysis - Synthesis: These methods include analyzing and describing in detail the components of conditional sentences according to their structure, grammatical characteristics, and functions in the sentence Next, the author will synthesize theories as well as previous research articles related to domestic and foreign scope conditional sentences to draw highly valuable conclusions for this research article

Compare and Contrast Methods: English conditional sentences extracted from the novel “The Call of the Wild” will be compared and contrasted by the author to determine similarities and differences in grammatical structure and meaning in both English and Vietnamese This method clearly shows the similarities and differences between the two languages and the usage of conditional sentences.

Data collection and analysis techniques

To collect and select conditional sentences from "The Call of the Wild" and its Vietnamese translations, the author read the entire original text of “The Call of the Wild” carefully as well as its Vietnamese translation Since this study focuses on analyzing conditional sentences appearing in this novel, the author has collected all conditional sentences that begin with “if” or begin with conditional conjunctions After that, the author classified conditional sentences according to different categories Besides, the writer also used language analysis tools to

Copies for internal use only in Phenikaa University compare and analyze conditional sentences in both languages Although some conditional sentences that begin with “if” or other conditional conjunctions but are incompletely structured and do not have a main clause attached will not be considered

In order to approach method, the all collected data are carefully recorded and thoroughly analyzed Firstly, conditional sentences are fully divided into five types, such as type 0, type 1, type 2, type 3, and mixed types Then, the data are analyzed quantitatively using numerical patterns, which are equivalent to each type of conditional sentence in the novel Using this method, the researcher can determine the percentage in which different types of conditional sentences appear in the novel

The frequency of the occurrence of conditional sentences is calculated by percentage using the following formula:

P= percentage of conditional sentence types

F= frequency of the conditional sentence types

T= total number of conditional sentences

To be effective in the analysis process, the data will be carefully calculated by the researcher and classified into appropriate groups Percentages are approximate and have been rounded Using quantitative methods to calculate the percentage of frequency of conditional sentences in this study is reasonable and beneficial This method not only ensures objectivity and accuracy but also supports comparison, contrast, and analysis of large data and provides a basis for further analysis This helped the study achieve accurate and reliable results while also providing important insights into the use and translation of conditional sentences between English and Vietnamese

RESEARCH FINDINGS

The typical features of English conditional sentences in the novel and

3.1.1 The forms of conditional sentences in the novel

Using conditional sentences in Jack London's novel “The Call of the Wild” plays an important role in creating the success of the novel They are used to describe hypothetical past, present, future events and situations and their consequences In addition, the use of conditional sentences in the novel also deeply reflects the psychology and survival journey of the main character, Buck, lives in an extremely harsh environment but always tries to adapt to the challenges of survival in the wild

In terms of grammatical structure, most of the conditional sentences in “The Call of the Wild” contain two clauses: the conditional clause (the if clause) and the main clause (without if) In particular, the “if - clause” represents the condition and the main clause represents the result The “if - clause” comes before the main clause and is followed by a comma Conversely, if the “if - clause” comes second, there is no need for a comma In short, it can be put before or after the

“main clause” with no change in meaning Here are some examples:

If clause (Condition) Main clause (Result)

If you strike that dog again,

Nếu mày còn đánh con chó này nữa,

I’ll kill you [p.57] tao sẽ giết mày [p.203]

If he were not left alone,

Nếu cứ động vào gã, that there would be trouble [p.13] thì rồi sẽ có chuyện phiền toái đấy! [p.119]

Main clause (Result) If clause (Condition)

He watched the club so as to dodge it

Nó vẫn để mắt theo dõi chiếc dùi cui để tránh if thrown by Francois [p.38] nếu Francois ném vào nó [p.164]

3.1.2 The basic types of conditional sentences in the novel

As discussed above, the zero conditional sentences are used to express a fact, a truth, or a rule of science or nature During the research process, only one type 0 conditional sentence appeared in the novel, corresponding to a rate of 3 percent a Declarations and rules

They’re lazy, I tell you, and you’ve got to whip them to get anything out of them

Tôi bảo cho chị biết chúng nó lười nếu chị muốn chúng làm việc thì chị phải quật [p.185]

It is declared that Mercedes needed to use violent actions so that there is no lazy dog

Condition: They’re lazy (The speaker is asserting that "They are lazy" This is a subjective statement, given as a firm statement.)

Result: and you’ve got to whip them to get anything out of them (As a rule, to achieve results, the character needs to have strong deterrents or punishments.) b Vietnamese equivalents

In English - Vietnamese translations, the zero conditional sentences are a common occurrence The semantic translation is typically applied with "if",

"unless'' and "when'’ which are frequently translated as "nếu’’, "trừ khi" or "khi" respectively

Based on the proportionate computations, 12 out of the total conditionals that were chosen from the novel, or 35 percent of the first conditional sentences, were identified This type of conditional is a structure for discussing an action or event that may happen in the present or future a Diversity of conditional sentences

Conditional sentences may occur as a request

For to play a system requires money [p.7]

Bởi vì muốn chơi theo lối ấy phải có nhiều tiền [p.105]

→ It is implied that using or participating in a certain game or system requires costs

This is not a normal conditional sentence like the conditional sentence structure that we often use "If you want to play a system, you will need money" but it can be considered a variation of the conditional sentence type 1

Among the variations of conditional sentences type 1, the structure (if + present + present) is also applied in conditional sentences type 1 This structure describes the possibility of an action occurring in the present or future and is used to make statements, emphasizing facts and results that are habitual or automatic

They’re weak as water, if you want to know,” came the reply from one of the men [p.48]

Các vị muốn biết thì tôi xin thưa! Chúng nó yếu nhũn ra như bún rồi [p.185]

In this context, the purpose of the sentence is not to predict the possibility of a future action; instead, the speaker informs, providing information to the listener at the moment of speaking

He wanted it because it was his nature, because he had been gripped tight by that nameless, incomprehensible pride of the trail and trace—that pride which holds dogs in the toil to the last gasp, which lures them to die joyfully in the harness, and breaks their hearts if they are cut out of the harness [p.35]

Nó muốn như vậy bởi vì đó là bản chất vốn có của nó, và cũng bởi vì nó đã bị hút chặt vào cái niềm tự hào vô danh và thật là khó hiểu ấy về lao động trên vết đường mòn - cái niềm tự hào đã giữ riết lũ chó trong công việc lao khổ nhọc nhằn cho đến hơi thở hắt cuối cùng, đã cám dỗ chúng đến mức chúng sẵn sàng chết hân hoan trong vòng đai cương và chúng sẽ đau buồn như xé ruột nếu bị dứt ra khỏi đai cương ấy [p.149]

Condition: if they are cut out of the harness

Result: and breaks their hearts

It is implied that a bad situation may happen in the near future and that the possible outcome from that situation “they are cut out of the harness”

The kidnapper undid the bloody wrappings and looked at his lacerated hand “If

Tên bắt cóc tháo mảnh băng đẫm máu và nhìn bàn tay rách tươm của mình:

- Phải bệnh dại thì bỏ mẹ [p.109]

→ It is well known that the kidnapper was worried about his health, possibly infected with rabies from the wound

The main clause in the sentence above does not clearly mention the result; however, the reader can infer the consequences and subsequent action

“Twist it, an’ you’ll choke ’m plentee,” said Manuel, and the stranger grunted a ready affirmative [p.7]

Cứ xoắn chặt lại là thừa sức làm cho nó nghẹt thở - Menuel nói Người lạ mặt hừm một tiếng tán thành trong cổ họng [p.107]

Condition: Twist it (This is considered a reduced clause without “If”, which expresses a command It has roughly the same meaning as “If you twist it”.)

Result: an’ you’ll choke’m plentee (The author uses the simple future to emphasize the result that will occur from the previous condition) In this context,

"an" replaces "and'', the phrase "choke 'm" is a shortened spelling of "choke them", "plentee" is a non-standard spelling of "plenty" This is often seen in everyday conversations or in realistic literature to express a character's way of speaking

Be a good dog and all’ll go well and the goose hang high [p.11]

Hãy trở thành một con chó ngoan, rồi tất cả mọi việc sẽ trôi chảy êm đẹp [p.115]

Be a bad dog, and I’ll whale the stuffin’ outa you Understand? [p.11]

Còn nếu chú mày mà bướng, thì ta sẽ quật cho sặc cơm ra Nghe chưa? [p.115]

“Be a good dog” and “Be a bad dog” are types of conditional sentences with a command meaning to give a threat or warning In addition, the idiom "the goose hang high" is used in the above conditional sentence to emphasize that the result will definitely happen if the condition is fulfilled

“If you strike that dog again, I’ll kill you,” he at last managed to say in a choking voice [p.57]

- Nếu mày còn đánh con chó này nữa, tao sẽ giết mày [p.203]

Condition: If you strike that dog again

→ In this case, the author uses the future tense “will” along with a variety of strong words to highlight the character's anger and tension and make a strong

Copies for internal use only in Phenikaa University threat that will happen in the future if the previous condition is not complied with

“Get out of my way, or I’ll fix you I’m going to Dawso.” [p.57]

“Cút đi cho rảnh mắt tao, nếu không thì tao cho mày một trận Tao đang cần đi Đoxân.” [p.203]

Condition: Get out of my way,

Result: or I’ll fix you

→ In this case, the conjunction “or” is used instead of “If not” However, unlike

“if-not”, “or” is used in result clauses in combination with the simple future tense to express the action that the speaker will take if the condition is not met

Kill or be killed, eat or be eaten [p.62]

Giết hoặc bị giết, ăn thịt hoặc bị ăn thịt [p.211]

Kill, eat: necessary actions to survive in the wild

Or: conjunction connecting condition and result clause

“Be killed” and “be eaten” are passive forms; they express the consequences if active action is not taken (It is implied that an action must be performed in the present or future Otherwise, unfortunate consequences will occur.) b Variations

Normally, in the structure of first conditional sentences, the “if clause” is divided into the simple present to express an event or action that is likely to happen in the present or future However, in terms of variations of the first conditional sentences, the author used the simple future in both clauses in the novel "The Call of the Wild" This fact is due to the author's tendency to emphasize certain urgent requirements and commitments that need to be fulfilled This variation has been used by many authors in their novels, prose, and poetry collections

“The poor dears! Now you must promise you won’t be harsh with them for the rest of the trip, or I won’t go a step.” [p.48]

The features of modal verbs in conditional sentences

In the process of finding 34 conditional sentences in the novel, the author identified 61.8 percent of conditional sentences containing modal verbs such as

"will, may, must, have got to" Mostly, they are used to make hypotheses and predictions about what will happen in the present and future Besides, their past forms also refer to unreal conditions, such as "could, would, might, and must"

3.2.1 The zero conditional sentences with modal verbs

→ In this context, the modal "have got to" (‘ve got to) emphasizes the necessity of action to achieve results It means that “they’re lazy” is an obvious fact Therefore, to achieve the result, the action mentioned in the main clause must be performed quickly and urgently

3.2.2 The first conditional sentences with modal verbs

Using the modal verbs "must, will" in conditional sentences to create an obligation, request, threat or warning

Bây giờ em phải hứa với chị là từ đây đến hết chuyến đi em sẽ không tàn nhẫn với chúng nữa, nếu không thì thôi, chị sẽ không đi đâu hết [p.185]

→ The appearance of “must” in a conditional clause expresses an urgent request being made, emphasizing the imperative for action to be taken immediately Besides, the modal “won’t” in the main clause plays the role of giving a certain result (“I won’t go a step”) if the condition is not fulfilled by the opponent The use of "must" and "won't" in both clauses also highlights the character's determination and strength Moreover, they also make the text more decisive and coherent

“If you strike that dog again, I’ll kill you,” he at last managed to say in a choking voice [p.57]

- Nếu mày còn đánh con chó này nữa, tao sẽ giết mày [p.203]

→ The modal “can” is not only used as a serious threat but also shows the character's strong determination At the same time, it also creates a tense and dramatic situation for the story

3.2.3 The second conditional sentences with modal verbs

Besides using “would” in the main clause, “could” can also replace “would” to indicate possibility in hypothetical situations

“However in the world could I manage without a tent?” [p.47]

- Không có lều thì làm thế nào mà sống được! [p.182]

→ The modal “could” replaced the “would” form to emphasize the difficult situation that the characters are facing In this case, it highlights their anxiety and confusion about their ability to manage

He was in poor condition or Buck could not so easily have overtaken him [p.75]

Hắn ở trong tình trạng yếu thế, mà nếu hắn không yếu thế thì Bấc cũng không dễ gì đuổi kịp hắn [p.237]

→ In this context, "could" emphasizes the dependence of the result (Buck catching up with him) on the available condition (his weak condition)

3.2.4 The third conditional sentences with modal verbs

Some modal verbs are employed in the main clause of type 3 conditional sentences, such as would, could, should, and might

But for the stray brown on his muzzle and above his eyes, and for the splash of white hair that ran midmost down his chest, he might well have been mistaken for a gigantic wolf, larger than the largest of the breed [p.77]

Nếu không có mấy đốm nâu lạc lõng ở mõm nó và phía trên đôi mắt, và cái vệt lông trắng chạy dọc ở chính giữa ức nó, thì người ta rất có thể nhầm tưởng nó là một con chó sói khổng lồ, lớn hơn cả con nhất của dòng họ nhà sói [p.241]

→ In this sentence, “might” replaces “would” to express an uncertain possibility in the past, whether or not the mistake actually happened It is implied that without identifying physical features, it would be confused with other animals

Early in the trip this might have taken place had it not been for an unwonted accident [p.24]

Ngay trong những ngày đầu của chuyến đi, đáng ra điều đó đã có thể xảy ra, nếu như không có một sự tình cờ đặc biệt làm cho vụ xung đột bị chặn đứng lại [p.151]

→ The appearance of might in the main clause implies that the character is not sure whether the event will happen or not, but without encountering any problems, it will probably happen In this case, it highlights the character's regret

The frequency of the appearance of modal verbs in conditional sentences is shown in the following charts 3.3 and 3.4:

Chart 3.3 The appearance of modal verbs “could, will, would” in conditional sentences

Chart 3.4 The appearance of modal verbs “must, might, have got to” in conditional sentences

By effectively exploiting the modal verbs used in conditional sentences, Jack London helps readers clearly feel the story's progress as well as the psychology of the characters through each situation They also highlight dramatic hypothetical situations, creating possibilities and uncertainties in Buck's life

Type 0 Type 1 Type 2 Type 3 Mixed types

Must Might Have got to

IMPLICATIONS

Suggestions for translating conditional sentences in the novel

4.1.1 Supplying learners with adequate knowledge of types of English conditional sentences and their Vietnamese equivalents

As mentioned in the previous sections, zero-conditional sentences are used to express obvious facts, truths, or scientific principles Therefore, to be able to fully express the meaning of the zero conditional sentence, learners need to add

"khi, một khi, nếu, sự thật hiển nhiên là, quả thật là " so that the translation is smooth and appropriate to the context without changing the content of the original text

Besides, the nature of the zero conditional sentences talks about events and factors that are certain to happen in the future They refer to content that is very clear and easy to understand Therefore, learners need to pay attention to avoid using words with uncertain meanings, such as "can, could, may, might" In

Vietnamese, they are translated as “có thể, có lẽ, có khi là, khả năng là”

To indicate the real situations in the present or future, learners need to clearly grasp the verb tenses used in both clauses, including the main clauses and

Copies for internal use only in Phenikaa University subordinate clauses In some cases, “if” can be replaced by other conjunctions, such as “unless, as long as, and when” In addition, the modal verb “should” is also used in place of “if” to express a hypothetical condition

In Vietnamese, learners can use equivalent connecting words without changing the meaning of the sentence such as “trừ khi, nếu, nếu nhỡ mà, nhỡ, miễn là, chừng nào mà, chỉ khi”

Bây giờ em phải hứa với chị là từ đây đến hết chuyến đi em sẽ không tàn nhẫn với chúng nữa, nếu không thì thôi, chị sẽ không đi đâu hết [185]

Note that, during the translation process, using appropriate connecting words is a very important factor to ensure the meaning and content of the sentence

In Vietnamese translations, besides “if then”, there are a number of subordinating correlatives used to replace “if”, such as “ví thử ”, “giả sử ”,

“chừng nào mà ”, and “giá như ”

That had given them an unfair advantage; but now that it was off, he would show them [p.10]

Sợi dây ấy đã tạo cho bọn người kia một lợi thế, nhưng không công bằng đối với nó Song bây giờ chẳng còn sợi dây ấy ở cổ, thì Bấc sẽ cho chúng biết tay [p.111]

So long as that were not interfered with, they did not care what happened [p.39]

Chừng nào điều đó không bị ai quấy rầy, thì có xảy ra việc gì cũng mặc, chúng chả cần để ý tới [p.166]

Not only are these subordinating correlatives used in the field of translation, but they are also quite commonly used in daily communication

Thus, there are many conjunctions used in the second conditional sentences to express unreal assumptions in the present or future Learners need to select appropriate conjunctions to accurately convey the content and context of the sentence

As the author mentioned in chapter II, to point out unreal situations in the past, some subordinating correlatives also have meanings "if", such as “giá thì”,

“phải chi thì”, “giá như ” and “giả dụ ” They have been used in

Vietnamese translations to strongly express a hypothetical condition

Early in the trip this might have taken place had it not been for an unwonted accident [p.24]

Ngay trong những ngày đầu của chuyến đi, đáng ra điều đó đã có thể xảy ra, nếu như không có một sự tình cờ đặc biệt làm cho vụ xung đột bị chặn đứng lại [p.15]

In English, the main clause of the third conditional sentences is used with the sentence structure “must/should/might/ + have+past participle”; in Vietnamese, they can be translated as “chắc hẳn là, lẽ ra nên, có khi nên, chắc có lẽ là ”

In conclusion, the variety of connecting words in Vietnamese is a useful linguistic tool for learners to create a good translation However, during the translation process, we need to choose connecting words appropriate to the context and content of the text Normally, “nếu thì, phải chi, giá như ” is used very commonly in documents translated into Vietnamese

As discussed in the previous theory sections, there are two types of mixed conditional sentences that are widely used in communication as well as in

Copies for internal use only in Phenikaa University writing It is a form of combination between a type 3 conditional clause and a type 2 result or vice versa

Let’s see some examples given below:

If I had washed my clothes yesterday, they would have been dry now

If I were taller, I would have been a model

These two examples can be translated as:

Nếu hôm qua tôi giặt quần áo thì bây giờ chúng đã khô rồi

Nếu tôi cao hơn thì tôi đã trở thành người mẫu rồi

Based on the above two examples, we see that there is a slight change when translating from the source language to the target language Considering the Vietnamese translation, some adverbs of time, such as "đã, rồi" have also been added to make the translation more natural, not stiff and smoother

In short, in the process of translating the third conditional sentences into Vietnamese, depending on the context, we can add words like "đã, rồi" in the main clause so that the reader knows more clearly about the hypothetical condition mentioned In addition, the translation is also smoother without changing the meaning

4.1.2 Supplying learners with adequate knowledge of pragmatic functions

As the author discussed in Chapter 1, pragmatics play a very important role in the field of translation Therefore, for a translation to become better and more accurate, learners need to be provided with full knowledge of pragmatic functions

Firstly, in the process of teaching foreign languages, teachers need to provide specific and useful teaching methods for each student at different levels The most useful way is to give specific examples of each type of conditional sentence so that learners can understand the content, linguistic context, implications, and presuppositions that the conditional sentence mentions Context can include information about time (past, present, and future), location, or general information between the speaker and listener

Be a good dog and all’ll go well and the goose hang high [p.11]

Hãy trở thành một con chó ngoan, rồi tất cả mọi việc sẽ trôi chảy êm đẹp [p.115]

Tiêu đề	A Study On English Conditional Sentences In “The Call Of The Wild” With Reference To Vietnamese Equivalents
Tác giả	Vu Thi Minh Thu
Người hướng dẫn	M.A. Duong Hong Quan
Trường học	Phenikaa University
Chuyên ngành	English Language
Thể loại	Graduation Paper
Năm xuất bản	2024
Thành phố	Ha Noi

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