Ditransitive Verbs in English and Vietnamese

         
























                      
            

   
 
 






























































 



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TABLE OF CONTENTS  Page  .................................................................................................... 






   

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CHAPTER I:

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1.1Verbs and their complementation type........................................................ >
1.1.1. Definition of verb........................................................................................... >
1.1.2 Classification of verbs ..................................................................................... 
1.1.3 Classification of verbs according to their complementation............................. 
1.2 Ditransitive verbs and their related complex transitive verb ....................... ?
1.3 Object................................................................................................................. 
CHAPTER II 

  
 

  
 
  
2.1 .Ditransitive verbs – their syntactic feature .................................................. 
2.1.1 Formation of Ditransitive verbs ....................................................................... 
2.1.2 Positions of object ............................................................................................ =
2.1.3 Possible realization of direct object and indirect object .................................. >
2.1.4 SVOO-SVOA transformation .......................................................................... 
2.2 Ditransitive verbs – their semantic features ................................................... 
2.2.1 Material process .............................................................................................. 
2.2.2 Mental process ................................................................................................ 
2.2.3 Verbal process .................................................................................................. @
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2.3.1 Ditransitive verbs and their Vietnamese equivalents ....................................... A
2.3.2 Ditransitive complementation in English and the equivalents in Vietnamese 
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  #   In English grammar, the English Verb has always been the element that causes much more trouble to language learners than any other ones in the sentence because it provides the power of the sentence. In fact, it is said that the verbs are very complicated but important. Being aware of its importance will help Vietnamese learners overcome difficulties when learning and using English verbs. In terms of their complementation, verbs are divided into intensive verbs and extensive verbs. Extensive verbs consist of transitive and intransitive ones. Transitive verbs include Monotransitive verbs, Ditransitive verbs and Complex transitive verbs. Among them, Ditransitive verbs and complex transitive verbs often make Vietnamese learners confused. Consider the following sentences: “He gave the key to Liz” and “He took the key to the tip”. Both “Liz” and “the tip” are prepositional complements - the preposition “to”. But the question here is whether both of them belong to SVOO or SVOA. And how can you give explanation for your choice? Let us consider another case: “Will you get some milk for Liz?” and “Will you iron this dress for Liz?”. Does “Liz” in the two sentences play the same semantic role? Therefore, it is important to help students to understand Ditransitive verbs and its complementation clearly. For all the above reasons, the topic of the paper is chosen with the hope that it will help us have detailed information of this kind of verbs in both languages and overcome difficulties when using. It is also hopeful that the minor thesis will be of some help to those who are interested in this aspect of English Grammar. $   The paper aims at: • describing and analyzing Ditransitive verbs and its complementation. • describing and analyzing the expression of Ditransitive complementation of different process types. • finding out the similarities and differences between Ditransitive verbs and their Vietnamese equivalents. • presenting and analyzing their Vietnamese equivalents along with some difficulties by Vietnamese learners in the process of studying and Making some suggested solutions to these problems to prevent the learners’ errors. %   • Describing English and Vietnamese ditransitive verbs.. • Making contrastive analysis (qualitative and quantitative) • Anticipating Vietnamese learners’ errors. &'   • To differentiate Ditransitive verbs and their… according to their experiential meanings concentrating on the most common structures and patterns of ditransitive verbs. • To make contrastive analysis of English ditransitive verbs and their complementation and the Vietnamese equivalents. • To evaluate the English - Vietnamese translation in some bilingual books available. ()  The minor thesis begins with Declaration, Acknowledgement; Contents; Symbols and Abbreviation. The body of the paper is divided into three parts: • Introduction including Rationale, Aims of the study, Methods of the study, Scope of the study, and Design of the study • Investigation consisting of three chapters: - Chapter I: The Theoretical Preliminaries of the English verbs + Verbs and their complementation types. + Ditransitive verbs: traditional conception and in functional grammar. + Ditransitive verbs and their related complex transitive verbs Chapter II: Ditransitive verbs –Their syntactic and semantic features - Ditransitive verbs- their syntactic features + Formation of ditransitive verbs. + Positions of objects + Possible realization of direct object and indirect object - Ditransitive verbs- their semantic features – experiential meanings. - Similarities and differences between English and Vietnamese ditransitive verbs and their complementation. - Chapter III: Exploring ditransitive verbs usage in English and Vietnamese and suggestions for teaching them. • Conclusion, which presents the overview of the study, closing with the suggestion for further research. The last one is bibliography.








  
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      1.1.1 Definition of verb • L. G. Alexander (1988): “A verb is a word or a phrase which express the existence of a state or the doing of an action”. • According to Sidney Grennbaum, the term “verb” is used in two ways: (1) A verb is a word that displays contracts such as tense, aspect, mood, voice, number (singular/plural), and person. It is generally inflected to offer non-finite form: infinitive (write), -ing participle (writing), -ed participle (written). A non- finite main verb (or lexical verb) may combine with one or more auxiliaries (or auxiliary verbs) in a verb phrase (may write, has been writing, could have written, was being written). (2) A verb (consisting of a verb phrase) combine with the subject of the sentence to constitute a minimum sentence: I (subject) won (verb); Dinner (subject) is servered (verb); No complaints (subject) have been received (verb); All the guests (subject) have been complaining (verb). If a sentence contains more than one clause, it is usual for each clause to have each own verb. (The sun is shining(1) but I predict(2) that it will rain (3)before we leave(4). • According to Quirk et al (1971), “A verb is considered as dynamic or stative verb according to its occurrence with progressive aspect (He was typing a letter) or not (He was knowing the answer). The distinction between verbs in dynamic use (as with type) and stative use (as with know) is a fundamental one in English grammar, and it is also reflected in a number of other ways than in the progressive”. 1.1.2 Classification of verbs Verbs are classified according to: + Their function:  lexical  auxiliary + Their forms (verb phrase structure):  finite  non-finite + Their meaning:  Dynamic  Stative + Verb complementation:  intensive  extensive o Transitive Monotransitive (VO) Ditransitive (VOO) . complextransitive (VOC/A) o Intransitive 1.1.3 Classification of verbs according to their complementation Complementation is defined as part of a phrase or clause which follows a word and completes the specification of a meaning relationship which that word implies. There are four main types of complementation of English verbs: • Copular complementation According to Quirk, R et al. (1985:1171), A verb is said to have copular complement when it is followed by a subject complement or a predication adjunct, and when this element can not be dropped without changing the meaning of the verb. The verb in such clause is a copular (or linking) verb. For example: [1] John is only a boy. (SVC) (Quirk, R et al., 1985:1170) • Monotransitive complementation According to Quirk, R et al. (1985:1176), Verbs used in monotransitive function require a direct object. For example: [2] I have caught a big fish. (SVO) (Quirk, R et al., 1985:1170) • Complex transitive complementation Complex transitive complementation represents a fusion of monotransitive and intensitive types of complementation, according to Quirk, R et al. (1972:850). For example: [3] We considered Bill a friend. (SVOO) (Quirk, R et al., 1972:850). • Ditransitive complementation Ditransitive complementation in its basic form involves two objects that are not in a co-referential, intensive relation, according to Quirk, R et al. (1972:843). For example: [4] John offered Mary some help. (SVOO) (Quirk, R et al., 1985:1209) According to verb complementation, verbs are classified into intensive verbs and extensive verbs. 1.1.3.1 Intensive verbs Intensive verbs often denote intensive relationship, often between subject and complement. Its sentence types are SVC and SVA. Intensive verb does not take any object. It presents the relationship between the subject and the subject complementation. The verb in sentences with subject complement is a “copular” (or linking verb), which of itself has little meaning but functions as a link between the complement subject. There are two subgroups: (1) Current intensive: be, appear, look, feel, remain, keep... [5] Her rug is too small for her living room. (SVC) (E. Warriner, J. & Graham, L.S. 1980:108) (2) Resulting intensive: become, come, get, go, grow, turn... [6] She grew tired of his complaints. (SVC) (E. Warriner, J. & Graham, L.S. 1980:108) 1.1.3.2 Extensive verbs Extensive verbs are those that extend their meaning to a new entity, of which the presence helps complete the meaning of the action or a state. [7] I mailed some letters. (SVO) (Andrew, J. & Murphy, 1980:69) [8] She is writing a long letter home. (SVOA) (Leech, G & Svartvik, J. 1984:304) Extensive verbs may be intransitive or transitive. • Intransitive verbs Verbs which do not take object or intensive complements are intransitive. Some are almost always intransitive (snow, vanish). Others represent intransitive uses of basically transitive verbs (eat, drive, read). In some types there is a corresponding transitive use, in others, not. Intransitive verbs take the sentence type SV. [9] Quick! The train has arrived. (SV) (Alexander, L.G.1998:6) There are two subclasses of intransitive verbs: + Common intransitive verbs: - Simple: come, go, work,... - Derived: return, retire,... + Phrasal V intransitive: take off, set up, come to... • Transitive verbs Verbs which take objects or complements are transitive. o Monotransitive verbs Verbs with one extensive complement are called monotransitive. The complement is a direct object or a prepositional object. Its sentence type is SVO. Verbs used in monotransitive function require a direct object, may be a noun phrase, a finite clause, or a non-finite clause. In addition to these categories the verb may be a prepositional verb or phrasal prepositional verb, which for our present purposes will be treated as analogous to a verb with a direct object. + Simple: ask, answer, build, buy, do, speak, cut... [10] She cut a cake with a knife. (SVOA) (Leech, G & Svartvik, J. 1984:299) + Phrasal: give up, make up, set off, switch on, switch off, turn down... [11] Hazel is out. We set off early. (SVA) (Alexander, L. G. 1998:157) + Prepositional: depend on [12] The price depends on when you travel. (SVA) (Wood, E. J. 1994:308) + Phrasal prepositional: cut down on, get on with, catch up with... [13] Jack has cut down on smoking. He only smokes five cigarettes a day now. o Ditransitive verbs o Complex transitive verbs $)       *   o Ditransitive verbs All transitive verbs take a direct object; some, in addition, permit an indirect object, and these will be distinguished as ditransitive. Ditransitive verbs take the sentence type SVOO. + Simple verb ditransitive: buy, bring, make, lend, find, pay... [14] I have paid George the whole sum. (Quirk, R. & Greenbaum, S. 1973:119) + Prepositional verb ditransitive: accuse of, aware of, inform of, compare to, provide