Syntactic and semantic features of SET phrasal verbs with reference to vietnamese translation equivalents

MINISTRY OF EDUCATION AND TRAINING HANOI OPEN UNIVERSITY NGUYỄN THỊ MI SYNTACTIC AND SEMANTIC FEATURES OF SET PHRASAL VERBS WITH REFERENCE TO VIETNAMESE... MINISTRY OF EDUCATION AND T

MINISTRY OF EDUCATION AND TRAINING

HANOI OPEN UNIVERSITY

NGUYỄN THỊ MI

SYNTACTIC AND SEMANTIC FEATURES OF SET

PHRASAL VERBS WITH REFERENCE TO VIETNAMESE

MINISTRY OF EDUCATION AND TRAINING

HANOI OPEN UNIVERSITY

NGUYỄN THỊ MI

SYNTACTIC AND SEMANTIC FEATURES OF SET

PHRASAL VERBS WITH REFERENCE TO VIETNAMESE

STATEMENT OF AUTHORSHIP

I, the undersigned, hereby certify my authority of the study project report entitled

“Syntactic and semantic features of SET phrasal verbs with reference to Vietnamese translation equivalents” submitted in partial fulfillment of the

requirements for the degree of Master in English Language Except where the reference is indicated, no other person‟s work has been used without due acknowledgement in the text of the thesis

Furthermore, I am also greatly indebted to all the lecturers in Faculty of Post Graduate, Hanoi Open University for their enthusiasm, expertise and support I would like to say a special word of thanks to Assoc Prof Dr Hoang Tuyet Minh, who inspired me and helped me narrow down the topic

I am also very grateful to my beloved students in Phuong Dong university, who were willing to take part in the written test, which offered me a relevant and reliable source of data for this study to be conducted A final word of gratitude is to

my family, without whose support and encouragement, this paper would not have been completed

ABSTRACT

The purpose of this study is to examine the syntactic and semantic features of English SET phrasal verbs and the way how they are translated into Vietnamese This study used both quantitative and qualitative methods as the main ones In addition, a descriptive method was also used to shed light into the features of these English structures in terms of syntax and semantics Finally, some other methods and techniques such as statistical technique and survey sampling method were also used by the writer of this paper to measure the chosen participants‟ ability to respond to a translation written test The findings showed that English SET phrasal verbs have only two uses in terms of syntax including intransitive and transitive while no copular phrasal verbs were found What‟s more, SET phrasal verbs have three levels of idiomaticity semantically including non- idiomatic, semi- idiomatic and highly- idiomatic The way they were conveyed into Vietnamese varies among Vietnamese translators There can exist various equivalents for a certain SET phrasal verb due to the discrepancies of the two languages belonging to two different language families Furthermore, the variety of the Vietnamese translation equivalents stem from the differences in formality or contextual factors These findings will be useful to all those who do translation from English into Vietnamese and vice versa

LIST OF ABBREVIATIONS AND SYMBOLS

A Adverbial

C Complement

Co Object complement

Cs Subject complement

-ed -ed participle form

-ing -ing participle form

√ Acceptable / grammatically correct

* Unacceptable / grammatically incorrect

{} Free alternatives

/ Alternatives

= Semantic equivalence

The categorization of particles 15

Table 2.2 Basic particle meanings in Oxford Phrasal Verb Dictionary 27

Table 2.3 PV classification based on compositionality 28 Table 3.1 Subjects of the research 30 Table 4.1 Complex transitive SET PV in the model SVOC 41

Table 4.2 Ditransitive SET PVs 43

Table 4.3 Monotransitive SET PVs and their meanings 44 Table 4.4 Non-idiomatic SET PVs and their meanings 48 Table 4.5 Semi-idiomatic SET PVs with their family group 49

Table 4.6 Highly-idiomatic SET PVs and their meanings 50 Table 4.7 SET PVs and their Vietnamese translation equivalents 52

1.7 Design of the study 5

Chapter 2: LITERATURE REVIEW

2.3.1.1 Definitions of English verbs 12 2.3.1 Ways of classification of verbs 12 2.3.2 English phrasal verbs 14 2.3.2 1 Definitions of phrasal verbs 14

2.3.2.3 Phrasal verbs and prepositional verbs 15 2.3.2.4 Phrasal verbs and phrasal- prepositional verbs 17 2.3.2.5 Syntactic criteria of phrasal verbs 18

2.4 Summary 29

3.1 Subjects 30

3.2 Instruments 31

3.3 Procedures 31

3.4 Statistical Analysis 33

3.5 Summary 36

Chapter 4: SYNTACTIC AND SEMANTIC FEATURES OF “SET” PHRASAL VERBS AND THEIR VIETNAMESE TRANSLATION EQUIVALENTS 4.1 Syntactic and semantic features of SET phrasal verbs 37 4.1.1 Syntactic features of SET phrasal verbs 37 4.1.1.1 Copular SET phrasal verbs 37 4.1.1.2 Intransitive SET phrasal verbs 37 4.1.1.3 Transitive SET phrasal verbs 40 4.1.2 Semantic features of SET phrasal verbs 47 4.1.2.1 Non-idiomatic SET phrasal verbs 47 4.1.2.2 Semi-idiomatic SET phrasal verbs 48 4.1.2.3 Highly-idiomatic SET phrasal verbs 50 4.2 SET phrasal verbs and their Vietnamese translation equivalents 51 4.3 Some implications for Vietnamese translators to translate SET 58 phrasal verbs 4.3.1 Some implications in translating SET phrasal verbs into Vietnamese 58 4.3.2 Some implications in translation from Vietnamese texts into English 61 using SET phrasal verbs 4 4 Summary 62 Chapter 5: CONCLUSION 63 5.1 Summary of Findings 64 5.2 Concluding remarks 64 5.3 Recommendations for Further Study 65

CHAPTER 1: INTRODUCTION

This chapter gives some overall information about the topic which has been chosen to investigate by the writer First, it describes a general background of the topic, the reason as well as the necessity of the study Then, aims and objectives of the research are also clearly presented and they are followed by three research questions, which will be answered in Chapter 4 After that, this chapter provides a brief explanation about the methods utilized during the research process, the scope and the significance of the investigation of the topic Finally, it indicates the overall plan of the thesis and the way how this paper is structured

1.1 Rationale for the study

It is obviously undeniable that English, which is becoming an increasingly common international language, plays an extremely important part in our everyday life It is being taught in many countries worldwide as either a foreign or a second language As a matter of fact, in order to improve students‟ success in mastering this fundamental language, a stronger emphasis should be placed on teaching vocabulary, which is of paramount importance to language learning However, one

of the most challenging areas in English vocabulary acquisition is phrasal verbs (hereafter abbreviated as PVs) It is these PVs which tend to cause foreign learners

of English numerous difficulties with PVs usage in general and highly accurate translation into their target language in particular One main reason for the troublesomeness of PVs is that the meaning of PVs is usually idiomatic and cannot

be determined by knowing the meaning of their individual parts Furthermore, PVs are polysemous, which means one PV may consist of many different meanings It seems to multiply difficulties for foreign language learners Hence, there is a vital need to make a thorough investigation into PVs in the hope to raise students‟ awareness of the syntactic and semantic features of these structures, which might help them master this troublesome field of English language as well as translate PVs effectively into Vietnamese or vice versa

PVs are extremely common in our modern life It is the common knowledge

texts, such as reports, fiction, newspapers and magazines, and even academic essays It has drawn more and more attention from linguists and researchers recently For the past few decades, growing numbers of studies have been carried out to devote to different types of PVs PVs are also of great interest to a large number of researchers both in other foreign countries and in Vietnam Some researchers dealt with a corpus-based study or a synchronic study on the use of PVs

Others studied such individual phrasal verbs as go, run, take, look…However, SET

PVs, which are among commonly used ones in daily conversation or in newspaper, have never been studied before Thus, this current study is carried out to fill the existing gap left in this interesting field of the English language

In addition, PVs with SET, together with their multiple meanings, are definitely one of the main difficulties that Vietnamese translators encounter One

PV with SET, set up for one, has more than ten meanings This leads to the fact that

Vietnamese translators cannot pinpoint which meaning is adopted in the context to translate it accurately into Vietnamese Also, an adequate translation requires translators‟ good sense of nuances in the semantics of both the source language and target language texts This thesis, which studies the syntactic and semantic features

of PVs with SET, and based on English – Vietnamese bilingual database including books, novels, newspapers and magazines… hopes to contribute to the avoidance,

or at least reduction of translating failure of Vietnamese translation leaners

1.2 Aims and objectives of the study

This current paper is aimed at helping Vietnamese translation learners master the PVs with SET in terms of syntactic and semantic features Basing themselves on the findings of the study, they will be able to be more successful in translating English discourses into Vietnamese and vice versa

The objectives of the study are:

- To identify the syntactic and semantic features of SET PVs;

- To investigate the ways SET PVs are translated into Vietnamese;

- To point out some applications to help Vietnamese translators quickly and efficiently translate English texts with SET PVs into Vietnamese ones and vice versa

1.3 Research questions

The paper will attempt to answer three following questions:

1 What are the syntactic and semantic features of English PVs with “SET”?

2 How are SET PVs translated into Vietnamese?

3 What should be done to help Vietnamese translation students master translating English “SET” PVs into Vietnamese and vice versa?

1.4 Methods of the study

This paper uses a number of methods and techniques so as to offer a profound investigation of SET PVs with respective to their Vietnamese translation equivalents

First of all, the descriptive method is used by the writer in this study This method is aimed at casting light on the syntactic and semantic features of “SET” PVs through a process of data collection With the use of this method, each category and subcategory of syntactic and semantic features of these PVs will be described in

a clear and detailed manner

Second, the statistical technique is also utilized This technique helps collect, summarize, analyze and interpret the variable numerical data from the survey The usage of this technique results in correct evaluation of students‟ ability to respond to the given test, which is clearly expressed in the percentage

Finally, a written translation test is used as one of the main tools of collecting data It is used in combination with purposive sampling method in order to give a valid and reliable reflection of students‟ ability to translate SET PVs from English target texts into Vietnamese or use SET PVs in their translation outputs from English source texts

1.5 Scope of the study

English PVs and their noun derivatives account for a significant number of new words which are now being coined in the English language It is these PVs which constitute one of the most distinctive and creative features of the English

language A PV can be defined as an English verb followed by one or more particles where the combination behaves as a syntactic and semantic unit These

verbs are usually a monosyllabic verb of action or movement such as go, put, take… There is a long list of these verbs listed down in PV dictionaries Within the

framework of a thesis, the current study only treats PVs with SET only, and the syntactic and semantic features are of our main concern

PVs in general and phrasal verbs with SET in particular undoubtedly make it really problematic for Vietnamese learners to master and Vietnamese translators to tackle A thoroughly conducted investigation of SET PVs will be of great help to teaching / learning English as a foreign language or in the field of translation However, this study only pays attention to Vietnamese translation leaners, who are expected to be able to benefit a lot from the findings of the study The findings and conclusion drawn are aimed at helping them with appropriate and sufficient translation, in which bilingualism is much needed

Among various methods which can be used to collect the database for investigation, survey method will be utilized by the writer A written translation test was designed for third-year and fourth-year students majoring in English in Phuong Dong University to collect the database for analysis Also, the translation equivalents of SET PVs have been collected from 23 English novels and their translated versions, 2 English movies with subtitles, and finally some bilingual website in Vietnam

1.6 Significance of the study

It is generally agreed that idiomatic expressions, including PVs, present great difficulties for foreign language learners Various reasons have been highlighted, which include the nature of PVs themselves “SET” PVs are among these troublesome ones Theoretically, the current paper can provide a systematic insight into the syntactic and semantic features of SET phrasal verbs Practically, it is hoped that the findings of the present study will be useful to everyone involved in doing translation of the English and Vietnamese language The overall aim of the study is to help Vietnamese translators have a profound insight into “SET” PVs Accordingly, they will be made more aware of the syntactic and semantic features

of these PVs, which are prominent and important in the English lexicon, and yet

remain very challenging for language learners and translators With the findings and discussions drawn, Vietnamese translation leaners will definitely find their possible solutions to the problems faced concerning translating “SET” PVs in English contexts into their mother tongue or vice versa, using PVs with “SET” instead of their single synonyms to make their translation sound more natural and much image-laden

1.7 Design of the study

The study is organized into five chapters

Chapter 1, Introduction covers the problem statement and justification to

the research topic, the aims and objectives, the scope and the significance of the study

Chapter 2, Literature Review provides the synopsis of previous studies on

the similar topics, as well as presents a review of theoretical background and theoretical framework for the case study

Chapter 3, Methodology focuses on the research methods that were

followed in the study It provides information on the subjects, instrumentation, procedures and statistical analysis

Chapter 4, The syntactic and semantic features of SET phrasal verbs and

their Vietnamese translation equivalents synthesizes the key findings of the

research and prioritizes key recommendations to help Vietnamese translators correctly translate English SET PVs into Vietnamese and vice versa

Chapter 5, Conclusion gives the summary of the study and some

suggestions for further research

References and appendices come at the end of the paper

CHAPTER 2: LITERATURE REVIEW

This chapter is devoted to the presentation of the literature which has already been done up to now First, it provides a brief review of previous studies, which were similar to the study on the topic under discussion The purpose of doing so is

to see how PVs have been investigated so far, which aspects of PVs or SET PVs

have been studied and whether there is any gap for further research or not After that, the outline of theoretical background and framework which the writer drew herself to in this study will be described

2.1 Previous studies

There is little doubt that PVs always remain an extremely challenging aspect

of the English language to foreign learners regardless of the fact that they are of great importance in mastering this language Thoroughly understanding, correctly utilizing and effectively translating them into another language is certainly one of the top priorities in the process of conquering them On account of that fact, a broad range of researches have been done, devoting to different aspects of this tough part

of the English language

There is a wide-ranging literature on PVs with different areas of focus Some studies deal with the semantic features of these combinations (McIntyre, 2002; and Gorlach, 2004); some focus on their syntax (Sroka, 1972); a few others particularly address the aspects associated with the particle elements of these structures (Gries and Stefanowitsch, 2004; and Cappelle, 2005); there are still a number of corpus-based studies which discuss the frequency aspects of these units and their semantic associations in various general and specialized corpora (Gardner and Davies, 2007; Von, 2007; and Trebits, 2008) In a similar way, a large number of studies have aimed at the avoidance of these combinations by non-native speakers with the phenomenon being affected by a number of such factors as nativeness (Siyanova and Schmitt, 2007), language distance (Hulstijn and Marchena, 1989), context (Siyanova and Schmitt, 2007), degree of compositionality (Ishii and Sohmiya, 2006), developmental stage and task type and difficulty (Liao and Fukuya, 2004)

Given that the English PV combinations are regarded a nettle that has to be grasped if students are to achieve native-like proficiency in speech and writing and

a grasp of them "can be a great asset to learners in acquiring a new language" (Celce-Murcia and Larsen-Freeman, 1999), more emphasis has been placed on investigating different aspects of PVs as well as different phrasal verbs among Vietnamese researchers One of them is “Phrasal verbs in English and Vietnamese studies” by Hoang Thi Minh Phuc (2008) In her study, she gave a detailed review

of the way how PVs have been investigated throughout the history, both in English and in Vietnamese Another study named: “An investigation into the common errors

in the use of English phrasal verbs by English majored students at Ho Chi Minh City Open University” was conducted by Ma Thi Minh Hieu She examined the common errors, the reasons for those errors commitment and presented some implications for errors avoidance In Hanoi Open University, several studies have been done by learners such as “GET phrasal verbs in terms of syntactic and semantic features with reference to Vietnamese equivalents”

In conclusion, PVs have been quite a lot investigated by both foreign and

Vietnamese researchers so far However, one of the common PVs, PVs with SET

are not much studied That is the reason for this study to be conducted with a broader range of database and a different application approach

2.2 An overview of syntax, semantic and translation theories

2.2.1 Syntax theories

As a matter of fact, there are some of the devices users of human languages employ to put meaningful elements together to form words, words together to form phrases, phrases together to form clauses, clauses together to form sentences, and sentences together to form texts The emphasis here will be on the construction of units larger than words, in particular clauses and sentences This has often been viewed primarily as the domain of syntax 'The term "syntax" is from the Ancient Greek syntaxis, a verbal noun which literally means "arrangement" or "setting out together" Traditionally, it refers to the branch of grammar dealing with the ways in which words, with or without appropriate inflections, are arranged to show connections of meaning within the sentence.' (Matthews 1982:1) The expressions

of a language involve a relationship between a sequence of sounds and a meaning, and this relationship is mediated by grammar, a core component of which is syntax

In English and many other languages, the arrangement of words is a vital factor in determining the meaning of an utterance

According to Noam Chomsky (2002), syntax is the study of principles and processes by which sentences are constructed in particular languages Syntactic investigation of a given language has as is goal the construction of a grammar that can be viewed as a device of some sort for producing the sentences of the language under analysis It is actually a theory of linguistic structure in which the descriptive devices utilized in particular grammars are presented and studied abstractly, with no specific reference to particular languages The central notion of this linguistic theory is that of “linguistic level” A linguistic level, such as phonemics, morphology, phrase structure, is essentially a set of descriptive devices that are made available for the constructions of grammar

There are three main approaches to syntax: traditional syntax, functional syntax and cognitive syntax The traditional approach to grammar and syntax, which was developed by Noam Chomsky focuses on forms, structures and rules while cognitive approach, which was presented by Günter Radden and René Dirwen gives insight into the nature of grammar as a human achievement and into the cognitive principles that motivate its structure Systematic functional grammar originated by M.A.K Halliday assumes that the most useful and accurate way of picturing language is a system of choices Each choice contributes something to the meaning of what is said; and by unpacking the choices we can explore in detail how the resources of the language have been used to construct the meaning

Among three approaches to grammar and syntax above, this current paper will choose to adopt the traditional syntax theory, which has been developed through various works by Chomsky in order to investigate the syntax patterns of SET PVS with the use of phrase structure grammar

2.2.2 Semantic theories

There are two competing models of semantic theory which are currently prominent They are interpretative semantics and generative semantics, which was initiated by the work of various early students of Noam Chomsky such as John R Ross, Paul Postal, and later James Mc Cawley, George Lakoff and Pieter Seuren were also instrumental in developing and advocating the theory

2.2.2.1 Interpretative semantics

The name “interpretive semantics” has come to be associated nowadays with the so-called Extended Standard Theory, a model of grammar, developed by Noam Chomsky in 1971 EST evolved out of the so-called Standard Theory , proposed by Chomsky in his 1965 book “Aspects of the Theory of Syntax” ST was the first complete model of grammar which consisted of the syntactic, semantic and phonological components The main representatives of Extended Standard Theory are N Chomsky, A Akmajian, R Jackendoff and others

In the model of interpretive semantics, the syntactic component consists of a categorial subcomponent, the lexicon, a level of deep structure, a transformational subcomponent and a level of surface structure The phrase structure rules of the categorial subcomponent generate the so-called trees or „phrase markers‟, which capture the relations between particular elements of a sentence The branches of the trees, ending in nodes, are labelled by grammatical category symbols The categorial subcomponent together with the lexicon form the so-called base of the syntactic component

In short, this first semantic theory was designed to be compatible with transformational syntax Syntactic rules enumerated a set of well-formed sentences paired with syntactic structures, each of which was assigned an interpretation by the rules of a separate semantic theory This left syntax relatively (though by no means entirely) "autonomous" with respect to semantics, and was the approach preferred

by Chomsky

2.2.2 2 Generative semantics

Generative semantics accounts for meaning directly, not through syntactic structure In generative semantics, a descriptive grammar begins with a deep structure that is semantic and, to some extent, pragmatic This deep structure consists of combinations of semantic features, semantic relations, performatives, and presuppositions Deep structures are then subject to lexical insertions and transformations to ultimately yield surface structures, which then serve as the structures to which the rules of the phonological component apply In a generative semantic account of a language, all meaning is present in this deep structure

structures of interpretive semantics) Syntactic constituent structure rules do not produce the deep logical structures and transformations never result in changes of the meaning of a sentence Furthermore, since this deep structure is purely semantic, generative semantics appears to be a clever means for describing paraphrase and ambiguity: both for syntax and for lexical items This is particularly clear when we consider that some paraphrase relations hold between a single lexical item and a phrase with syntactic structure

To conclude, each model of semantics has its own advantages However, the present study will be developed by following the interpretative semantics

2.2.3 Translation theories

There have been numerous definitions of translation introduced by different linguists so far Some definitions stress the significance of „equivalence‟; for example “Translation is the replacement of a text in one language by a replacement

of an equivalent text in a second language (Meetham and Hudson, 1972) Translation is the replacement of textual material in one language by equivalent textual material in another language (Catford, 1965) On the other hand, functionalists view translation differently: “Translation is the production of a functional target text maintaining a relationship with a given source text that is specified according to the intended or demanded function of the target text.” (Nord,

in shutttleworth and Cowie, 2007) Nord distinguishes between two senses of translation: wide and narrow Translation is, in a narrow sense, any translational action where the source text is transferred into the target culture and language According to the form and the presentation of the source text and to the correctibility of the target text, we distinguish between oral translation (=

“interpreting”) and written translation (= “translation” in the narrow sense)

In short, translation should be conceptualized as a target language product which is as semantically accurate, grammatically correct, stylistically effective and textually coherent as the source language text In other words, the translator's main attention should not be focused only on the accurate semantic transference of source language message into the target language, but also on the appropriate syntax and diction in the target language, which are explicitly the translator‟s (not the source author‟s) domain of activity which displays his true competence

The history of translation has undergone many remarkable periods of time, each period has witnessed the emergence of many new theories For example,

“polysystem theory” (Baker, 2005) offers a general model for understanding,

analyzing and describing the functions and evolution of literary systems, its specific application to the study of translated literature These systems, whether in the original or translated texts subsume several levels: linguistic, cultural, and social, all

of which overlap and interact with each other Another theory, “skopos theory”

(Vermeer, 1989) reflects a shift from predominantly linguistic and rather formal theories to a more functionally and social- culturally - oriented concept of translation According to this theory, the contextual factors surrounding the translation shouldn‟t be ignored These factors include the culture of the intended readers of the target texts and the client who commissioned it, and more significantly the function which the text aspires to perform in that culture for those

readers “Theory of sense” recommends that the focus should be on the intended

meaning or the sense rather than the words of the source texts Another important

theory is called “manipulation theory” (Hermans, 1995) According to this theory,

translation process is deemed a rewriting process and the translator is a re-writer who can alter or manipulate the ST in such a way as to be accepted in the target

language and culture “Aesthetic communication theory” (As Safi, 2006) is

creativity-oriented specifically for literary translation It is perhaps indisputable that literary translation is not only informative, but also expressive or emotive

In conclusion, many different theories have been proposed by different linguists Several of them, as presented above will be used by the writer of this paper in a hope that some implications given, which are based on the translation theories above might help Vietnamese translators with efficiently translating SET PVs in English source texts into Vietnamese or vice versa, using SET PVs appropriately and correctly in their translation outputs from Vietnamese into English to make them sound natural to English readers

2.3 An overview of English verbs and phrasal verbs

2.3.1 English verbs

PVs, in this paper, are regarded as verb-particle combinations, which act as a

which behaves to some extent either lexically or syntactically as a single verb (Quirk R Greenbaum S & Leech G & Svartvik J [21,p1150] ) It is therefore important to review some conceptual framework concerning the verb and its classification

2.3.1.1 Definitions of the verb

Levitchi believes that the verb is considered to be the heart of a sentence It

is “a part of speech denoting actions: to work, to go , to sing; process in the form of actions : to stand, to lie ; the appearance of a characteristic : to bud ; the modification of a characteristic : to harden; an attitude : to be glad [16, p83]

Tran Huu Manh [25, p35] posits that a verb is a word (or a part of speech) used to denote action or state, or, otherwise help to complete the meaning of the verb phrase

She goes there twice a week (action)

She‟ll become a doctor (state)

They‟re trying to finish the work („re(are- auxiliary verb)

2.3.1.2 Ways of classification of the verb

There are many ways of classification of the verb For example, Tran Huu Manh divides the verb into two primary groups: lexical verbs and auxiliary verbs Lexical verbs (or main verbs) are those verbs that denote action or state while auxiliary verbs are those that help complete the meaning of the verb phrases.[25, p35]

Diagram 1: auxiliaries

Primary Modal

Periphrastic Perfect Progressive Passive can, may, must, ought to,

Do have be 1 be 2 dare, need

The class of the lexical verbs can be divided into subclasses in different

ways Tran Huu Manh [25, pp36,37] introduces four main types of

subclassification: the distinction between dynamic and stative verbs based on the

meaning of the verb ; the distinction between intensive and extensive verbs; the

classification in terms of their complementation and word formation The

classification of lexical verbs based on their complementation is exemplified in the

diagram below:

Diagram 2 Lexical verbs

Transitive

Intensive

Be, appear, look,

become, get , run

Intransitive Come, go, live, come in, go out

Monotransitive Ask, answer , get , give up

Ditransitive Give, take, in form of

Complex- transitive Call, elect, make , put (SVC/SVA) (SV) (SVO) (SVOO) (SVOC/SVOA) (intensive

complementation)

(zero complementation)

Monotransitive complementation

(ditransitive complementation)

Complex transitive complementation

-)

This paper, which investigates the syntax of SET PVs, will treat PVs as

lexical verbs Classification of SET PVs will be made on the basis of their

complemention, one out of four ways of classification of lexical verbs as introduced

by Tran Huu Manh above

2.3.2 English phrasal verbs

2.3.2.1 Definitions of phrasal verbs

PVs are undoubtedly a very important part of the English language They always remain a topic of peculiar importance and have drawn a significant amount

of attention from linguists worldwide Along the years, they have been much studied, which have been titled with different labels by different linguists such as Randolph Quirk (1972), Dehé (2002) or Celce-Murcia and Larsen-Freeman (1999), etc… However, the term most frequently used in pedagogical approaches and EFL course books, the label “PVs” will be decided upon to be used in this paper

There are quite a number of definitions put forward by various authors The expression “PVs” refers, in English grammar, to a combination of a verb and a preposition of adverbial particle, in which the combination often takes on a meaning which is apparently not the simple sum of its parts

Longman Dictionary of Phrasal Verbs defines PVs as idiomatic combination

of a verb and an adverb, or a verb and a preposition, or verb with both adverb and preposition

Grammarian Eduard Vlad [9, p93] describes PVs as combinations of a

lexical verb and adverbial particle Verbs as give up, fall out… are considered by him to be multi-word verbs that are equivalent to one lexical item Quirk et al.[21,

p1150] considers them a unit which behaves to some extent either lexically or syntactically as a single verb

In short, numerous definitions of PVs have been presented However, it can

be identically referred that a PV consists of a verb and a particle, which can be either a preposition or an adverb and behaves as a single lexical unit with its own syntactic and semantic features

In this paper, the writer will examine SET PVs basing herself on the theoretical framework that was developed by Quirk R Phrasal verbs will be considered a lexical unit which behaves to some extent either lexically or syntactically as a single verb

2.3.2.2 Particles

As mentioned above, the words which follow the lexical verbs in PVs are given the neutral designation particles They are morphologically invariable and actually belong to two distinct but overlapping categories, that of prepositions and that of spatial adverbs The classification of particles can be organized as can be seen in the table below:

Table 2.1: The categorization of particles

Particles Prepositions only Against, among, as, at, beside, for, from, into, of, onto,

is no such requirement for adverbs

[1] Jack fell down the hill [2] Jack fell down

“down” is a preposition in sentence [1] and an adverb in sentence [2]

2.3.2.3 Phrasal verbs and prepositional verbs

Bearing in mind the fact that particles and prepositions are morphologically identical, we also need to make a clear distinction between PVs (verb - particle) and prepositional verbs (verb + preposition), (hereafter abbreviated as PrVs) which seem to be easy to confuse one with the other

According to Randolph Quirk [21,p1166], PVs are made different from PrVs, a similar-looking construction by six major features as follows:

a) With a PV, there can be an object movement, which means the object can be placed before or after the particle but this movement is unacceptable with a PrV

 [3a] She turned off the stove

 [3b] She turned the stove off

 [3c] She looked at the picture

* [3d] She looked the picture at

b) In terms of pronoun placement, a pronoun always precedes the particle in case of

a PV and follows the preposition of the PrV

 [4a] She turned it off

* [4b] She turned off it

* [4c] She looked it at

c) In terms of adverb insertion, an adverb can be placed between the verb and the preposition of the PrV but not with a PV

 [5a] He broke completely with his girlfriend

* [5b] He broke completely up the party

d) In terms of inversion, it is possible to place the adverb before the verb but with a

 [7a] The person with whom he disagreed

* [7b] The person in whom did he take

f) The particle of a PV cannot precede the interrogative word at the beginning of a

wh- question

 [8a] With whom did he disagree?

* [8b] Up which man did they call?

g) The particle of a PV is normally stressed And in final position normally bears the nuclear tone, whereas the particle of a PrV is normally unstressed

and has the “tail” of the nuclear tone which falls on the lexical verb

[9a] Which man did they CALL on? (PrV)

[9b] Which man did they call UP? (PV)

Six criteria above make a clear distinction between PVs and PrVs However, it‟s a matter of fact that PVs, PrVs and phrasal – prepositional verb (hereafter abbreviated as Ph-PrV) all constitute multi- word verbs according to Quirk, R [21 , p1150] In this study, PVs has an extended sense They are regarded as combinations of a verbal element and a particle, which can be either an adverb or a preposition or both and they behave as a single unit Hence, PVs, in this paper, will include all three types above in order to help collect a broader range of data for a more wide – reaching and thoroughly conducted investigation

2.3.2.4 Phrasal verbs and phrasal-prepositional verbs

Another major further category which belongs to “multi-word verbs” as introduced by Randolph Quirk is called “Ph-PrV s” They got that name because they contain, in addition to the lexical verb, both an adverb and a preposition as particles These combinations are largely restricted to informal English

[10] We are all looking forward to your party on Saturday

Lexical verb adverb preposition

[11] He had to put up with a lot of teasing at school

Lexical verb adverb preposition

Similar to other categories, a common sign of idiomatic status here is the existence of a one-word paraphrase:

Put up with = “tolerate” look in on = “visit”

The prepositional passive with such verbs is not too common, and is liable to sound cumbersome Examples such as the following, however, are normal and acceptable

[12] These tantrums could not be put up with any longer = “tolerated”

[13] The death penalty has been recently done away with = “abolished” [14] Such problems must be squared faced up to = “confronted”

[15] They were looked down on by their neighbors = “despised”

This category was put in comparison with PVs by Randolph Quirk as a separate one Together with PVs and PrVs, they constitute “multi-word verbs” In the current study, however, the author will treat such verbs as PVs as mentioned in

the previous part and all SET Ph- PrVs will also be listed down for investigation on

an account of the fact that they also contain the combination lexical verb+ particle

as a normal phrasal verb

2.3.2.5 Syntactic criteria of phrasal verbs

It is generally agreed that a PV has the same syntactic features like a normal lexical verb, so they can also be classified according to the demand to be followed

by some obligatory elements or not Quirk R points out three main verb classes: intransitive verbs, transitive verbs and copular verbs [21:pp53,54] It is therefore likely to divide PVs into such categories as intransitive PVs, transitive PVs and copular PVs

(I) Intransitive phrasal verbs

The PV is said to have an intransitive use where no complementation occurs

In other words, intransitive PV stands alone without requiring a complement to follow it It consists of a verb plus an adverb particle, as exemplified in:

[16] The plane has just touched down [17] Did he catch on?

[18] He is playing around [19] The prisoner finally broke down

[20] I hope you‟ll get by [21] She turned up unexpectedly

[22] How are you getting on? [23] When will they give in? [24] The plane has now taken off [25] The tank blew up

What can be seen from the examples above is that intransitive PVs always occur in the type SV Such phrasal verbs are usually informal The particles above are usually spatial adverbs, but sometimes they can be prepositions The particle functions like a predication adjunct, and usually cannot be separated from its lexical verb

 [26a] The news made him reel back distractedly

* [26b] The news made him reel distractedly back

No classification of intransitive PVs has been introduced by Randolph Quirk However, it should be borne in mind that PVs behave as a single unit, or a class of word, which acts as a single word lexically or syntactically as a single verb As a result, it is completely possible to classify PVs using the criteria introduced by Randolph Quirk in terms of intransitive verbs In doing so, intransitive PVs can be subdivided into three types: (Quirk R [21, p1169]

(i) “Pure” intransitive PVs, which do not take an object at all

[27] The tank blew up

[28] The prisoner finally broke down

(ii) Intransitive PVs, which can be transitive PV with the same meaning, and without a change in the subject-verb relationship Informally, such verbs can be described as having an “understood object”

[29a] Danger, keep out! (intransitive)

[29b] Please keep out of the office while I‟m working (transitive)

(iii) Intransitive PVs which can also be transitive PVs, but where the semantic connection between subject and verb is different in the two cases, the intransitive use has an affected participant as subject, whereas the transitive use has an agentive

as subject

[30b] Can you wake me up at 8? (transitive)

[31a] John started up the motor (transitive)

[31b] The motor started up (intransitive)

(II) Transitive phrasal verbs

In contrast to intransitive PVs, transitive ones always require a following complement Without a complement, they are incomplete in meaning Examples are:

[32] ,[33] We will set up a new unit He can‟t live down his past [34] ,[35] Shall I put away the dishes? I can‟t make out what he

means

[36] ,[37] Find out if they are coming She looked up her friends [38] ,[39] She‟s bringing up two children I‟ve handed in my registration These transitive PVs occur in types SVO, SVOO, SVOC, and SVOA They

can be undergone a further classification into three categories: monotransitive PVs, ditransitive PVs and complex transitive PVs based on the types of its complements

(i) Monotransitive PVs

Such PVs occur in the pattern SVO These PVs require a direct object, which

in a broad sense may be a noun phrase, a finite clause, or a nonfinite clause as exemplify ied below:

There is also a long list of such PVs with typical objects as follows:

Back up (= “support” someone) Let down (= “disappoint” someone)

Break off (negotiations) Pass over (a question)

Bring about (a change) Put across (an idea)

Burn down (a house) Put off (an appointment)

Draw up (a contract) Tell off (= “ rebuke” someone)

Fill out (a form) Turn off (the lights)

Knock down (someone) Win over (= “convince” someone)

Almost all of monostrative PVs can be used in the passive voice:

[43a] Active: He turned off the lights

[43b] Passive: The lights were turned off

(ii) Ditransitive PVs

Ditransitive PVs occur in the type SVOO Ditransitive complementation in its basic form involves two object noun phrases: an indirect object, which is normally animate and positioned first, and a direct object, which is normally

concrete However, in a broader sense, an object can be prepositional object, that- clause object, finite wh- clause object , to-infinitive clause object, etc as follows:

[44] She pointed out to me that we were having some problems

Oi = prepositional O Od = that clause object

A noteworthy characteristic of the ditransitive verbs in general is the fact that some of them have two passive analogues, which are distinguished as “first” and

“second” (Quirk[21,p1208), except for that-clause

(iii) Complex transitive PVs

These PVs occur in the types SVOC and SVOA A distinguishing characteristic of complex transitive complementation is that the two elements following the verb are usually equated with the subject and predication respectively

of a nominal clause There, however, also exist variants of complex transitive

complementation To sum up, the direct object (which is normally a noun phrase) can be followed by:

- a non-finite clause (to-infinitive, -ing participle, bare infinitive, and -ed participle)

acting as a predication adjunct

- a finite clause

- an adjective phrase / clause

- a prepositional phrase

- an adverb

[45] Why do you keep on at me to work harder?

O C = predication adjunct = to infinitive clause

In the example above, the PV (actually a Ph-PrV treated as a PV as mentioned above) is followed by Od and a non- finite clause ( to- infinitive) as Object complement(Co)

In many cases; however, the direct object that follow the complex transitive

PV can also be a finite clause as in the following example:

[46] Don‟t put off till tomorrow what you can do today

A= a prepositional phrase Od= a finite clause

(III) Copular phrasal verbs

It should be borne in mind that a PV is said to have copular complementation when it is followed by a subject complement (Cs) or a predication adjunct, and when this element cannot be dropped without changing the meaning of the PV The

PV in such a clause is a copular (or linking, intensive) PV, and equivalent in

meaning in function to the principal copular, the verb be Such PVs occur in the

types SVC and SVA Cs can be noun phrase complements as well as adjective

phrase complements as illustrated in the examples below:

[47] We take a look at some other mistakes, which turned out rather well

Cs = adj

complement has the role of current attribute (existing attribute) (normally with the

verbs used statively) or of resulting attribute (resulting from the event described by

the verbs - with verbs used dynamically) Here are examples of copular PVs with

resulting attribute:

[51] He fell down dead

[52] That incident has turned out fortunate

[53] He ended up her fiancée

[54] His plan has turned out a disaster

Among 4 examples above, PVs in [51], [52] have typical adjective

complements while those in [53], [54] have typical noun phrases as subject

complements

PVs rarely have complements which have current attribute

When it comes to transitive PVs, it appears very important to observe the

possibility of placing the particle before or after the object They can fall into these

following possibilities as follows:

(a) With most of the other PVs, the particle can either precede or follow the direct

object

 [55a] They turned on the light

 [55b] They turned the light on

Bearing in mind the adverbial status of the particle, we would indeed expect the latter order (SVOA) to be more usual, even though it means a separation of the particle from its verb When the object is a personal pronoun, the SVOA order is in fact the only one allowable

 [56a] They switched it on * [56b] They switched on it

(b) Some transitive PVs do not easily allow their particles to go after the object (unless the object is a pronoun)

 [57a] They had given up hope * [57b] They had given hope up

 [58a] They laid down their arms *[58b] They laid their arms down This fixing of the S V A O order tends to occur, as in the above examples illustrate where there is a strong idiomatic bond (frequently matching a change from literal to metaphorical ) between the PV and the object In addition, the particle

cannot normally be placed after a clausal object, such as an – ing clause, even the

clause is short

 [59a] She gave up trying * [59b] She gave trying up

(c) Conversely, some PVs do not easily allow the placement of the particle before the

object In some cases, the SVAO order is probably avoided because of ambiguity

 [60a] Get that parcel off right away *[60b] Get off the parcel right away Here the transitive PV get off can be confused with the intransitive get followed by the preposition off This latter construction occurs, for example, in “Get

off that stool- it‟s just been painted.” Another reason for avoiding the SVAO order include coordination of particles

 [61a] I switched the light on and off * [61b] I switched on and off the light

Also, the order tends to be fixed by idiomatic convention

 [62a] I was crying my eyes out * [62b I was crying out my eyes

laughing my head off laughing off my head

sobbing my heart out sobbing out my heart

In sum, there are three types of PVs introduced by Quirk R and his co- workers regarding the requirements of elements that follow them They are: copular PVs (sometimes referred to with other labels such as linking , intensive , equative,

or copulative by other grammarians), intransitive PVs, and transitive PVs Transitive PVs are subclassified into mono-transitive, di-transitive and complex-transitive PVs The current paper will investigate the syntactic features of SET PVs based on this model of classification, and SET PVs collected will also be divided into three main types as presented in Chapter 4

2.3.2.6 Semantic criteria of phrasal verbs

PVs, once treated as a single lexical unit, definitely carry their own semantic features These features have been used as a criterion of grouping PVs Throughout the years, much effort has been made to contribute to the investigation into semantic criteria of PVs Different approaches have been set and different ways of grouping PVs have been introduced In brief, there are two main semantic approaches to grouping PVs so far One of them is based on the meanings of the particle in the

PV The second approach to PV grouping is the semantic analysis of PVs based on the idea of compositionality, which was developed by Celce-Murcia and Larsen-Freeman (1999), Armstrong (2004) and Quirk R (1972)

First, Quirk R recognized three main categories of PVs These are:

(i) Free, non-idiomatic constructions, when the individual meaning of the components are apparent from their constancy in possible substitutions:

verb word keeps its meaning, whereas the meaning of the particle is less easy to isolate In contrast, it is the particle which establishes a family resemblance in the following groups:

Persistent action Completion

Chatter away / fire away

Work away / beaver away

Drink up / break up

Finish up / use up

Aimless behavior Endurance

Play around / mess around

Fool around / wit around

Draw out / eke out Last out / hold out

(iii) Highly idiomatic constructions, which are thoroughly idiomatic In these PVs, there is no possibility of contrastive substitution These PVs are “bring up” (rear),

“come by” (acquire), “turn up” (make an appearance), etc…

To sum up, what we can assume from Quirk R.‟s categorization is that:

- If both the verb and the particle of the PV retain their literal meaning, it has non- idiomatic meaning

- If the verb keeps its literal meaning while the particle provides an aspectual meaning, it has a semi-idiomatic meaning

- If both the verb and the particle have idiomatic meaning, it has a highly-idiomatic meaning

It can obviously be referred that the meanings of particles are really necessary in deciding the idiomaticity of the PVs Particles, from a cognitive viewpoint, have a primary spatial meaning and additional non-spatial abstract meanings For instance, Rudzka Ostyn (2003), in her pedagogically-oriented book, who employed the cognitive approach as a means for effective acquisition of PVs, proposed 17 particle meanings, among them some leading literal meanings are presented below:

- on: stands for continuation of an action or situation Eg: walk on, ramble on …

- around: stands for location or motion (in different directions) often viewed from a central point, paths in all kinds of direction Eg: come around, boss around …

- through: stands for motion inside an entity from end to end, activities viewed as complete motions Eg: sleep through, soak through …

- over: is being or moving higher than and close to something or from one side to the other, examining thoroughly from all sides Eg: turn over, linger over…

- out: moving out of containers Eg: go out ,…

- in: entering or inside a container Eg: come in,

Oxford Phrasal Verb Dictionary also presents a list of particles and their meanings Their basic or literal meanings can be seen as in the table below:

Table 2.2 Basic particle meanings in Oxford Phrasal Verb Dictionary

1 about Moving in different directions

2 around Of movement in a circle or curve to face the opposite direction or

to arrive at the other side of something

3 at To show where somebody or something is in space or time

4 away Movement to a different place

5 back Returning to the place where you were before or to an earlier time

6 down Movement in a downwards direction, moving from a higher to a

lower position

7 for Aiming and purposes

8 in Being contained inside something or somewhere, or movement

from outside to inside

9 into Movement from outside to inside of something

10 of Communicating and interpreting

11 off Movement away from a place

12 on Describing the position of one thing above or on top of another or

resting on something

13 out Movement from outside to inside

14 over Movement from one side of something to the other, especially over

the top of something

15 round Movement in a circle or curve in order to face in the opposite

direction or to arrive at the other side of something

16 through Passing from one side of something solid to the other side

17 to Directing or aiming

18 up Movement upwards, from a lower to a higher

19 with Relationship between people

This categorization introduced by Quirk R shares many things in common with other linguists such as Jackendoff (1997), Celce-Murcia and Larsen- Freeman (1999) and Armstrong (2004) However, each linguist labeled their categorization under different names The difference in naming each type of PVs can be illustrated

in the table below:

Table 2.3 PV classification based on compositionality

Authors Degree of idiomaticity from high to low

Quirk R 1985 Highly idiomatic Semi-idiomatic Non-idiomatic Jackendoff 1997 Idiomatic

=Non- compositional meaning

Aspectual Directional

=Compositional meaning

2.4 Summary

In sum, this chapter has provided a detailed presentation on the literature of the topic under discussion First, a review of previous studies has been made to see what this paper can inherit from the findings of those studies, both in Vietnam and other countries and what might make this research different from them

Next, three theories: syntax, semantics and translation theories have been presented respectively There are three models of syntax and two of semantic theories available which have been by different linguists Among them, this paper will choose to adopt the traditional ones

At the end of the second part, an in- depth review on the verb and PVs has been done; their definitions as well as the possible ways of classification in terms of syntactic and semantic features have been clearly described In terms of syntax, the current paper will examine SET PVs based on their complementation, which divides SET PVs into three primary categories: copular, intransitive and transitive SET PVs, with transitive PVs being subclassified into three secondary categories: monotransitive, ditransitive and complex- transitive SET PVS On the other hand, the semantic features of SET PVs will be studied in terms of compositionality with three primary categories: non-idiomatic, semi-idiomatic and highly-idiomatic SET PVs

thorough investigation of English SET PVs with reference to their Vietnamese

equivalents and the procedures that she followed in order to achieve that will be clearly presented Finally, the statistical analysis will also be described All the data collected will be sources for the next chapter

3.1 Subjects

The method of purposive sampling was used to develop the sample of the research under discussion Given the fact that sample members of this method are selected on the basis of their knowledge, relationships and expertise regarding a research subject, those of the current study were carefully selected They are 45 third-year students and 55 fourth-year ones, whose major is English in Phuong Dong University in Hanoi Among them, 18 are males and 82 are females The average age of the subjects is 22 as can be seen from the table below:

Table 3.1 Subjects of the research

Students‟ year Age Number Gender

translation theory at Phuong Dong University Hence, they have sufficient and relevant experience in the field of translation to be able to respond well to the written translation test from English into Vietnamese and vice versa

The sample size of 100 students was the total of subjects who were willing to sit for a written translation test of 40 minutes

3.2 Instruments

There are three data collection instruments which were used by the author of the thesis with the aim of investigating the syntactic and semantic features of SET PVs with respect to their Vietnamese translation equivalents They are: corpus; records and secondary data; survey

3.2.1 Corpus

With the intention to make a detailed list of all the PVs with SET in English,

a corpus-based investigation was carefully implemented by the author The corpus utilized ranges from a wide variety of dictionaries, in particular those of PVs by prestigious publishers such as Oxford, Cambridge, Mc Millan,…

In addition, several online dictionaries were also used by the researcher in

the process of a corpus-driven study such as thefreedictionary.com, pons.onlinedictionary.com, etc to ensure that all the English PVs with SET,

including newly-coined ones would also be listed

3.2.2 Records and secondary data

The records and secondary data were collected directly from various published and unpublished sources The examples, the sentences containing the

English PVs with SET were cited from a broad range of novels, from classical

literary works of the 20th century to contemporary works, life-skill books, newspapers and magazines, and even English songs and movies A lot of grammar books, reference books, and textbooks used in Vietnamese curriculum were also used by the writer with the target of offering a wide collection of examples for later illustration