The semantic functions of adverbial ing-participle clauses Acknowledgements I could not have completed our thesis without the enthusiastic help of my teachers, my family and my friends, especially my supervisor: Dr Lª C«ng Th×n. I would like to express my deepest gratitude to Mr Lª C«ng Th×n ( Dr), the supervior who helps me a lot, gives me a lot of advice and guidance during my process of study. I would also like to express my thanks to all the teachers of the Department of Foreign Languagues- Vinh University. Finally , I would like to give my thanks to my friends for giving many documents and advice, especially to my family whose encouragement is very valuable for me. Vinh, May 2003 Phan ThÞ Quý Phan ThÞ Quý - 40A1 1 FLD - Vinh University The semantic functions of adverbial ing-participle clauses Table of contents Page Acknowledgements 1 Part I: Introduction 4 I. The reasons for choosing the thesis 5 II. Aims of the study 5 III. Methods of the study 6 IV. Scope of the study 6 V. Design of the study 6 Part II: Investigation 7 . Chapter I. Some theoretical premises about ing-participle clauses 8 1.1 Clauses 8 1.1.1. Clause elements 8 1.1.2. Structural types of clauses 11 1.1.3. Clause functions 12 1.2 Ing-participle clauses 16 1.2.1. Ing-participle clauses can have a subject 16 1.2.2. Ing-participle clauses in the negative 17 1.2.3. The position of objects and adverbs in the structure of ing- participle clauses 17 1.2.4. Ing-participle clauses with a conjunction 17 1.2.5. Ing-participle can have active, perfect and passive forms 18 Phan ThÞ Quý - 40A1 2 FLD - Vinh University The semantic functions of adverbial ing-participle clauses ChapterII. The semantic functions of ing-participle clauses and the interpretation those into Vietnamese 20 2.1. The constructions of sentences containing adverbial ing-participle clauses 20 2.1.1. Present 21 2.1.2. Past 24 2.1.3. Future 26 2.2. The semantic functions of adverbial ing-participle clauses and the interpretation those into Vietnamese 27 2.2.1. Adverbial ing-participle clauses expressing time 27 2.2.2. Adverbial ing-participle clauses expressing reason 31 2.2.3. Adverbial ing-participle clauses expressing result 32 2.2.4. Adverbial ing-participle clauses expressing condition 33 2.2.5. Adverbial ing-participle clauses expressing concession 34 2.2.6. Adverbial ing-participle clauses expressing time-reason 34 2.2.7. Adverbial ing-participle clauses expressing time-condition 36 ChapterIII. Learners’ confusions in using ing-participle clauses and some suggested solutions 38 3.1 Learners’ confusions in using adverbial ing-participle clauses 38 3.1.1. Misrelated participles 38 3.1.2. Using two conjunctions for two clauses 40 3.2. Some suggested solutions 40 Part III: Conclusion 46 Refreence 48 Phan ThÞ Quý - 40A1 3 FLD - Vinh University The semantic functions of adverbial ing-participle clauses Note : [135, 8] : example taken from page 135 of the book numbered 8 in the list of the reference. Part I: Introduction Phan ThÞ Quý - 40A1 4 FLD - Vinh University The semantic functions of adverbial ing-participle clauses I. Reasons for choosing the study English is an international and living languague. It is used widely all over the world because of its important role in every field of society. In Vietnam, it becomes more and more popular and it is being taught in most of schools. However, due to the differences of the two languagues, learning English well is not easy. In daily spoken languague, especally in literary languague, we often meet adverbial ing-participle clauses. For example: Being a student of Vinh University, I always try my best to study well. Sometimes we meet some wrong adverbial ing-participle clauses, such as: Crossing the road, a car hit him. Learners may translate this sentence from Vietnamese one: Khi vît qua ®êng, mét chiÕc xe ®©m vµo h¾n ta. While the right sentence is: Crossing the road, he was hit by a car. ( the actual subject of the verb “crossing” is “he” not “a car”) Being students of English, we do find it interesting and necessary to study this proplem. Morever, it is a good chance for us to undrestand more deeply about adverbial ing-participle clauses and to practise the scientific study skills. That is the reason why we choose this subject for our study. Phan ThÞ Quý - 40A1 5 FLD - Vinh University The semantic functions of adverbial ing-participle clauses II. Aims of the study Adverbial ing-participle clauses is a complicated problem which causes some confusions for Vietnamese learners. So in this study, we would like to give an overview about such these clauses, especially their semantic functions. Further more, it helps us and other people to widen the knowledge of English. III. Scope of the study This thesis is about adverbial ing-participle clauses, especially , we focus on the semantic functions of adverbial ing-participle clauses and the interpretation those into Vietnamese.We also bring out learners’ confusions and some suggested solutions. IV. Methods of the study - Descriptive method - Comparative method - Analytic and synthetic method V. Design of the study The thesis consists of three main parts: 1. Introduction 2. Investigation Phan ThÞ Quý - 40A1 6 FLD - Vinh University The semantic functions of adverbial ing-participle clauses Chapter I : Some theoretical premises about adverbial ing-participle clauses Chapter II : The semantic functions of adverbial ing-participle clauses and the interpretation those into Vietnamese Chapter III : Learners’ confusions and some suggested solutions 3. Conclusion Part II: Investigation Phan ThÞ Quý - 40A1 7 FLD - Vinh University The semantic functions of adverbial ing-participle clauses Chapter I: Some theoretical premises about adverbial ing- participle clauses 1.1 Clauses Clauses are the principal structures of which sentences are composed. A sentence may consist of one or more than one clauses. According to Oxford Advanced Learners’ Dictionary, a clause is “a group of words that includes a subject and a verb forming a sentence or a part of sentence”. There are three ways that clauses may be described and classified: In terms of the clause elements (subjects, verbs .) from which they are constructed and the verb patterns which are formed from these elements. In terms of the amount of use which a clause makes of verb phrase structure. On this ground, we distinguish between finite clauses, nonfinite clauses and verbless clauses. In terms of clause functions, that is the function a clause performed in a sentence, such as: nominal clauses, adverbial clauses, . 1.1.1 Clause element All clauses are made out of elements,each expressing a particular kind of meaning. Traditional grammar recognised two main elements, which they called Phan ThÞ Quý - 40A1 8 FLD - Vinh University The semantic functions of adverbial ing-participle clauses the subject and the predicate. The present grammatical analysis recognises five elements in a clause, all of which appear in the following sentence: The cyclist has called Dave a foot twice. 1 2 3 4 5 The first element in this clause is the subject (S). The subject usually identifies the theme or the topic of the clause. The second element is the verb (V). It expresses a wide range of meanings such as: actions ,sensations or states of being performed. The third element is the object (O) which identifies who or what has been directly affected by the action of the verb. The fourth element is the subject complement (C S ) which gives further information about the subject. The fifth element is the adverbial (A). The adverbial usually adds extra information about the situation such as the time of an action, its location, or its manner of being performed. When a clause is consider as a sentence, it may have the following patterns: 1. S-V(intransitive) She smiled S V (105,love story) Oliver bowed S V (32, Oliver Twist) 2. S-V-C He was a humorous man S V C Phan ThÞ Quý - 40A1 9 FLD - Vinh University The semantic functions of adverbial ing-participle clauses ( 28, three Shakespeare tragedies) He seemed tied S V C 3. S-V-O (transitive) He unlocked the drawer S V O (38, Oliver Twist) I play football S V O 4. S-V-A Morning arrived fast S V A (53, Oliver Twist) He lived in the countryside S V A (86, English smile) 5. S-V-O-O He gave Oliver a hard blow S V O O (42, Oliver Twist) I send her a letter S V O O 6. S-V-O-A He left the room quickly S V O A (25, Oliver Twist) Oliver met her the next day. S V O A Phan ThÞ Quý - 40A1 10 FLD - Vinh University . Quý - 40A1 2 FLD - Vinh University The semantic functions of adverbial ing -participle clauses ChapterII. The semantic functions of ing -participle clauses. Quý - 40A1 19 FLD - Vinh University The semantic functions of adverbial ing -participle clauses Chapter II: The semantic functions of adverbial ing-participle