INTRODUCTION
Rationale
English, often referred to as the global language, extends beyond mere communication; it opens up new horizons and diverse perspectives for its learners Consequently, teaching English as a second or foreign language remains essential Unsurprisingly, English occupies the majority of teaching hours in classrooms worldwide, surpassing all other subjects.
Vietnam, in the process of renovating its education and particularly its English language teaching, has placed emphasis on the development of teachers‘ and learners‘ proficiency of the language
As a Vietnamese learner and English teacher, the author has identified the challenges non-native speakers face in mastering vocabulary across various contexts, particularly with confusing synonyms Among these, the words achieve, attain, and accomplish stand out as particularly difficult for learners The author seeks to clarify whether these terms are synonymous, how they differ, and in what ways they are similar Driven by a desire to deepen understanding, the author aims to explore the meanings and usages of these frequently misused synonyms.
The advent of information technologies and computer advancements has transformed corpora into vast electronic collections of authentic texts, offering crucial insights into word distribution within a language This evolution aids both language researchers and non-native speakers in distinguishing between near-synonyms by analyzing their distribution patterns automatically retrieved from corpora Consequently, this presents an excellent opportunity for authors to utilize this powerful tool to explore and examine near-synonyms effectively.
Aim and objectives of the study
This study seeks to differentiate the synonyms "achieve," "attain," and "accomplish" through a corpus-based analysis, highlighting the subtle distinctions in their meanings and usages.
The author posits that a corpus linguistic approach can demonstrate that "achieve," "attain," and "accomplish" are near-synonyms with overlapping meanings, yet each word possesses unique nuances Furthermore, these terms may exhibit both similarities and differences in their usage, particularly regarding genre preference and collocational patterns.
The study aims to identify the overlapping and exclusive meanings of each synonym, along with their frequency of use Additionally, it seeks to determine the genre preferences associated with each term and to analyze and compare the collocational properties of the target verbs.
Research questions
In order to fulfil the above objectives, the research questions are conducted as follows
(1) What are the similarities and differences in word sense and frequencies of sense of achieve, attain and accomplish?
(2) What are the similarities and differences in register of achieve, attain and accomplish?
(3) What are the similarities and differences in collocational properties of achieve, attain and accomplish?
Research methods
The study utilized a corpus-based approach, drawing on extensive data from the Corpus of Contemporary American English and Cobuild Wordbank Online, along with six dictionaries This dictionary consultation highlighted the similarities and differences in the meanings of the verbs "achieve," "attain," and "accomplish." An analysis of concordances from the corpora revealed the frequency of these meanings, and the data was further used to examine the synonymous verb "register" and compare its collocational patterns The author then conducted a thorough analysis and interpretation of the results.
Scope of the study
This study focuses on practical usage patterns of synonymy, specifically examining the verbs achieve, attain, and accomplish It does not provide an exhaustive analysis of all aspects of synonymy, nor does it consider variations among different English dialects, as this would complicate comparisons The investigation is limited to word senses, sense frequencies, style or register, and collocational behaviors, with an emphasis on collocating objects due to space restrictions.
Significance of the research
This research is crucial for English linguistics and the teaching and learning of English in Vietnam due to the limited studies on corpus applications in lexical semantics within the country While global research in this area is expanding, Vietnam lags behind, highlighting the need for this study The findings are expected to significantly aid EFL teachers and learners, addressing common questions about synonyms, such as their differences and interchangeability By providing a robust methodology and results, this research offers valuable tools for effectively differentiating synonyms, enhancing the language proficiency of both teachers and students.
Organization of the study
This study is organized into five chapters, beginning with an overview that outlines the rationale, aims, objectives, research questions, methods, scope, and significance of the research Chapter Two reviews existing literature on corpus linguistics and synonymy, establishing the theoretical framework for the study Chapter Three details the research methodology, including the approach, data collection instruments, and procedures Chapter Four presents the findings and analysis derived from both dictionary and corpus data Finally, Chapter Five summarizes and interprets the findings, highlighting their relevance to English teaching and learning, particularly in relation to lexicon, while also addressing the study's limitations and offering recommendations for future research.
LITERATURE REVIEW
Synonymy
Defining synonymy is complex due to varying interpretations of the concept While some view synonyms as words with identical meanings, this perspective reveals that true synonyms do not exist in any language Conversely, if synonyms are defined as words with similar meanings, nearly any pair of words could qualify as synonyms to some extent This paradox arises from the diverse approaches to understanding synonymy, which will be explored in this section.
Linguists like Lyons (1977) have proposed the concept of absolute synonyms, where words can be freely interchanged without altering meaning However, Quine (1951) argues that it is impossible to confirm if the meanings remain unchanged after substitution Similarly, Goodman (1952) contends that no two words can be truly synonymous, as there will always be contexts where they are not interchangeable Although absolute synonyms might theoretically exist, pragmatic and empirical evidence suggests they are extremely rare Clark (1992) supports this notion with her Principle of Contrast, stating that language evolves to eliminate absolute synonyms; if a word does not develop new nuances, it risks becoming obsolete.
Absolute synonyms are largely considered non-existent, yet nearly absolute synonyms can be used interchangeably in contexts with slight differences in meaning Lexicographers recognize that synonymy exists on a spectrum, as evidenced by the distinctions made in synonym dictionaries Synonyms are traditionally defined as closely related words with minor differences, although a broader interpretation includes words with one or more related meanings Roget emphasized grouping words by ideas, while Webster's New Dictionary of Synonyms offers a more precise definition of synonymy.
A synonym, in this dictionary, will always mean one of two or more words in the
English language which have the same or very nearly the same essential meaning
[…] the two or more words which are synonyms can be defined in the same terms up to a certain point
The level of openness in synonym definitions varies by dictionary purpose; for instance, Roget's Thesaurus excels in word searching, while Webster's New Dictionary of Synonyms is more effective for word discrimination Given the focus on distinguishing near-synonyms, the latter serves as a valuable tool for data collection Semanticists, like lexicographers, also recognize synonymy as a matter of degree, with Ullmann (1962) defining near-synonymy as possessing similar meanings.
The term "objective" can carry varying emotive, stylistic, or dialectal meanings According to Lyons (1995), near-synonyms are "more or less similar, but not identical in meaning." He differentiates between near-synonyms and partial synonyms, although the rationale for this distinction is unclear Partial synonyms do not meet the criteria of absolute synonyms because they are either not "complete," lacking identical meanings across all dimensions, or not "total," meaning they do not function synonymously in every context For instance, "big" and "large" are partial synonyms; while they may be interchangeable in some instances, they differ in usage, as seen in the phrases "a big mistake," which is acceptable, versus "a large mistake," which is not.
Cruse (1986) offers a nuanced definition of synonymy by distinguishing between two types of near-synonymy The first type, cognitive synonyms, refers to words that share the same truth conditions but differ in expressive meaning, style, or register, exemplified by terms like fiddle and violin The second type, plesionyms, consists of lexical items that do not have identical truth conditions but still convey semantically similar meanings, such as foggy and misty.
The proposed distinction for identifying synonym differences appears impractical, as it focuses solely on propositional meaning, which is just one aspect of synonym variations Furthermore, introducing two definitions of synonyms would only add complexity to the categorization process.
Edmonds (1999) introduced the concept of granularity to enhance the definition of synonymy by incorporating varying levels of detail in word meanings This approach allows for distinguishing between essential and peripheral meanings, leading to a more precise understanding of synonyms However, establishing a benchmark for the appropriate level of granularity to define near-synonyms remains challenging Edmonds aimed to provide a rigorous definition for near-synonyms through this concept.
Near-synonym preserve truth conditions, or propositional meaning, to a level of granularity of representation consistent with language independence in most contexts when interchanged
DiMarco, Hirst, and Stede (1993) defined near-synonyms as words that are similar but not identical in meaning, highlighting their variations in denotation, connotation, implicature, emphasis, or register Inkpen and Hirst (2006) further noted that near-synonyms are not fully interchangeable, as they differ in both denotational and connotational meanings, along with grammatical or collocational behaviors While these perspectives may not resolve the ongoing debate surrounding synonymy, they offer valuable insights into the field of lexical semantics.
Absolute synonyms are largely considered nonexistent, as synonymy typically reflects near-synonymy For instance, the terms "thin," "slim," and "skinny" all refer to body figure but carry different connotations: "thin" is neutral, "slim" is positive, and "skinny" is negative Similarly, "pissed," "drunk," and "inebriated" represent varying levels of formality regarding intoxication, with "pissed" being informal, "drunk" neutral, and "inebriated" formal, all indicating a loss of control due to alcohol consumption.
In discussions about near-synonyms, the concept of synonymic difference is pivotal, highlighting the distinctions that prevent two words from being identical (Edmonds and Hirst, 2002) Near-synonyms vary not only in their denotational meanings but also in various aspects of their connotations Understanding these synonym differences is essential for effective language use, particularly for English as a Foreign Language (EFL) learners, who often lack the native intuition necessary for accurate word selection.
There are multiple ways in which synonyms can differ Cruse (1986) lists four broad type of differences in synonymic meanings:
stylistic meaning (dialect and register)
expressive meaning (affect, emotion and attitude), and
presupposed meaning (selectional and collocational variations)
DiMarco, Hirst, and Stede (1993) explored synonyms by examining semantic and stylistic distinctions, focusing on denotational and connotational differences However, this classification lacks precision, as denotation pertains to a word's literal meaning, while connotation encompasses additional, non-literal aspects Consequently, the term becomes too broad and ambiguous to serve as a reliable criterion for distinguishing synonyms.
Having a to some extent similar classification to Cruse‘s, Gove (1973) argues that synonyms may have distinctions in:
Gove's criteria encompass both propositional and peripheral meanings, yet he notably omits stylistic differences from his classification, despite discussing it extensively This gap is addressed by Edmonds (1999) and Edmonds and Hirst (2002), who expand upon Gove's framework by introducing a more detailed categorization of synonymous differences with additional sub-classes Their work also identifies four primary variations, as depicted in figure 2.1.
Denotational variation of near-synonym has proved to be the most complicated to sort out It involves differences not only of simple features but of
In the realm of language, concepts and ideas can be understood as "full-fledged" entities that encompass various roles and contextual aspects Edmonds (1999) highlights that near-synonyms can represent different dimensions of variation, such as continuous versus binary distinctions or various phases of a process, which are informed by world knowledge While this study does not delve into an exhaustive classification of these variations, it will acknowledge the existence of denotational variations, or nuances in word meanings, as significant elements in understanding language.
This study focuses on synonymic variations in expression, particularly the frequency with which synonyms convey specific meanings in real language usage Lexicographers often use vague frequency terms like "always," "often," and "usually" to describe these variations, but such terminology fails to clearly illustrate the differences in usage between near-synonyms For instance, Gove's (1973) entry for synonyms of "lie" demonstrates that terms like "usually," "often," and "sometimes" provide little insight into which meanings are more prevalent, leaving dictionary users unable to discern the prominence of each synonym's senses.
Figure 2.1 Classification of synonymic difference by Edmonds (1999) and
Corpus linguistics
Corpora are defined as collections of texts within electronic databases, as noted by Kennedy (1998) However, this definition fails to emphasize the crucial aspect of representativeness and balance in reflecting a language's diverse linguistic varieties, as highlighted by Gries (2009) Although achieving an ideal corpus design remains a challenge, corpora are not merely random text collections Leech (1992) offers a more focused definition, stating that corpora are assembled with specific purposes in mind and aim to represent certain language or text types Nonetheless, this definition lacks the critical criterion that texts in a corpus must originate from natural communicative settings, rather than being created solely for inclusion in a corpus, as discussed by McEnery, Xiao, and Tono.
In 2006, a more comprehensive definition of a corpus was proposed, describing it as "a collection of machine-readable authentic texts sampled to represent a specific language or language variety." Unlike traditional paper-based corpora, modern electronic corpora, combined with advanced computer software, offer significant advantages for language studies, including cost-effective data manipulation, precise data processing, and reduced human bias.
(1985) adds that this collection of data can be used ―as a starting point of linguistic description or as a means of verifying hypotheses about a language‖
Corpora can be categorized in several ways, highlighting their diversity General corpora encompass language in its entirety, while specific corpora focus on particular language varieties Additionally, diachronic corpora track language changes over time, whereas synchronic corpora capture language data at a single point in time Another distinction lies between monolingual corpora, which contain texts in one language, and parallel corpora, which feature multiple languages Lastly, corpora can be classified as static, remaining unchanged after creation, or dynamic, continually updated with new data.
The classification of corpus linguistics remains a topic of debate, with some scholars arguing it is an independent philosophical approach (Leech, 1992), while others view it as a versatile methodology applicable to various linguistic aspects (McEnery et al., 2006) This field emphasizes the analysis of naturally occurring language as a reliable basis for studying and categorizing linguistic structures Hanks (2008) highlights that corpus linguistics focuses on interpreting observed language to identify patterns in word meaning and syntactic composition Additionally, Gries (2009) identifies several areas where corpus linguistics contributes to linguistic investigation.
- Phonology: how possible is the prediction of the degree of phonological assimilation or reduction based on its‘ components‘ frequency of co-occurrence as in Bybee and Scheibman (1999)
- Morphology: what do regular and irregular verb forms suggest about the probabilistic nature of the linguistic system as in Baayen and Martin (2005)
- Syntax: how to predict which syntactic choice speakers will make as in Leech et al (1994)
- Semantics and pragmatics: how do near-synonyms differ from each other, as in Okada (1999), Oh (2000), Gast (2006) and Gries and David (2006)
2.2.3 Corpus linguistics in synonymy study
To effectively determine the similarities and differences between synonyms, various sources can be utilized, including personal intuition, dictionaries, and raw text corpora While personal intuition may introduce bias, dictionaries provide a more objective basis through the work of experienced lexicographers However, dictionary definitions may lack the depth required for thorough analysis In contrast, raw text corpora, supported by advanced computer databases and language analysis tools, allow researchers to examine word usage in authentic contexts, revealing syntactical and collocational patterns that inform synonym distinctions Church et al (1994) support the use of corpora for investigating semantic relations such as synonymy and antonymy, highlighting the effectiveness of collocational and constructional similarities derived from these data sources For a comprehensive review of past studies on synonymy using a corpus linguistic approach, refer to section 2.4.
Previous studies
In Vietnam, linguistics research using corpora is still of limited number, many of which are research on languages other than English For example, Dao
In recent years, the significance of corpus linguistics and technology in teaching Vietnamese as a foreign language has been highlighted, notably by 2011 Additionally, Nguyen (2016) explored the variations in Vietnamese speech sounds using the Sino-Vietnamese corpus of yuanyun However, research on English language phenomena appears limited, with Luu (2016) being a notable exception, as she conducted a critical discourse analysis on power relations in the New York Times' portrayal of global climate change conferences Despite extensive efforts to locate studies on synonymy within the corpus approach in Vietnam, the author has found no relevant research.
Research on synonymy and corpus linguistics has become increasingly accessible, particularly with the rise of electronic corpora and computerized language tools Over the past few decades, studies on near-synonymy have significantly increased, with notable works such as Kennedy's (1991) analysis of the collocational and semantic differences between "between" and "through." Additionally, other research has explored the collocation and prosody of terms like "sheer," "pure," and "absolute."
Research by Partington (1998), Togibi-Bonelli (2001), Yang (2016), Phoocharoensil (2010), and Mildred (2016) has explored various aspects of synonym differentiation, including terms like "learn" versus "acquire" and "ask" versus "beg." Johns (1991) highlights the pedagogical advantages of using concordance to distinguish near-synonyms such as "persuade" and "convince." However, there remains a lack of focused studies on the verbs "achieve," "attain," and "accomplish." This research aims to address this gap in both corpus and synonymy studies, making it a significant contribution to the field.
METHODOLOGY
Research approaches
This research utilizes both intuition-based and corpus-based methods to study synonymy Historically, human intuition was the primary tool for collecting and analyzing language data before computers became prevalent This reliance on intuition aligns with Chomsky's idea that native speakers possess an innate ability to describe language However, individual dialects or sociolects can influence intuition, leading to variations where a natural utterance for one speaker may seem unacceptable to another (McEnery et al.).
The corpus-based approach enhances language study by revealing distinctions that may elude intuition, providing reliable quantitative data through advanced statistical methods While intuition plays a crucial role in interpreting corpus evidence, McEnery et al (2006) emphasize the importance of balancing corpus data with intuitive analysis Thus, integrating corpus data with intuitive insights is a sensible strategy for this research.
Data sources
The research relied on two main sources for collecting data - corpora and dictionaries
The primary data sources utilized in this research are the Corpus of Contemporary American English (COCA) and Collins Wordbank Online (CWO), which are among the largest corpora with 520 million and 460 million words respectively, and an annual growth of about 20 million words Unlike static corpora such as the Brown and Frown Corpora, these dynamic corpora provide access to the latest data COCA is freely accessible to researchers, allowing 50-200 queries daily based on their status, which greatly benefits university lecturers like the author Conversely, CWO offers limited access through a one-month trial subscription, yet it remains sufficient for data collection in this study.
The two corpora possess distinct advantages and disadvantages, making them complementary According to Davies (2010), the Corpus of Contemporary American English (COCA) maintains a consistent genre balance over its 25-year span from 1990 to 2015, with each category containing a relatively equal number of texts This balanced representation across genres enhances the utility of COCA for linguistic research.
The corpus analyzed comprises 100 million words, with popular magazines contributing the largest share at 110 million words, while academic journals account for the smallest at 103 million words Spoken language, newspapers, and fiction represent 109 million, 106 million, and 105 million words, respectively This diverse composition allows the corpus to effectively reflect "linguistic changes in the real world" (Davies, 2010), a feat not achievable by the CWO due to its genre imbalance Nevertheless, the CWO outperforms COCA in statistical measures, utilizing two common metrics for collocational strength: Mutual Information (MI) and t-score MI is particularly useful for measuring similarity, while t-score excels in assessing differences (Church et al.).
The COCA utilizes Mutual Information (MI) as its exclusive measure of collocational strength, while the CWO employs a combination of MI and t-score, resulting in more reliable insights into the collocational properties of the examined words.
Dictionaries serve as a vital source for data collection, encompassing both general and synonym dictionaries General dictionaries, selected for their prestige and accessibility, primarily provide insights into the various meanings of verbs In contrast, synonym dictionaries help distinguish nuances in the meanings of these verbs The study utilized five reputable monolingual dictionaries from both British and American English, including The American Heritage Dictionary of the English Language and Cobuild Advanced English Dictionary.
Longman Dictionary of Contemporary English Online (LDOCE, http://www.ldoceonline.com/), the Merriam-Webster Dictionary online (Merriam-
The author consulted several dictionaries, including Merriam-Webster and the Oxford Advanced Learner's Dictionary, as well as Webster's New Dictionary of Synonyms, to gather information on the meanings, styles, and synonyms of specific target verbs It was anticipated that these resources would reveal nuanced meanings among the verbs.
Data collection procedure
The data collection procedure consisted of three phases, corresponding with essential data to answer the three research questions mentioned in Chapter 1
3.3.1 Phase 1 - word senses and frequencies of senses
To analyze the meanings of the words "achieve," "attain," and "accomplish," the author conducted a thorough examination of their definitions, usage notes, and synonyms from both general and synonym dictionaries This research not only identified the distinct senses of each word but also assessed the presence of any overlapping meanings Establishing overlaps is essential for determining synonymy, as highlighted by Chung and Ahrens (2008).
The next step involved calculating the frequencies of word senses through a collection of concordances from two corpora Specifically, 200 concordances for each word were randomly selected—100 from the COCA using the KWIC command and 100 from the CWO via the Concordance command A total of 600 concordances were analyzed individually to determine the frequencies of each verb's meanings, with results presented in both raw frequency and percentage formats for enhanced comparison among the verbs.
The data collection phase highlighted the usage patterns of the verbs "achieve," "attain," and "accomplish" across various registers and their different forms Information was sourced from the COCA website, which detailed the frequency of these target words categorized by different genres such as Spoken, Magazine, Newspaper, Fiction, and Academic Journals, as well as across various time frames Visual representations, including tables and charts, were utilized to present this data, with Figure 3.1 illustrating the command used in COCA to analyze the frequencies of the verb "attain."
Figure 3.1 Corpus command for frequencies on the COCA (screenshot)
The final phase of the data collection process focused on analyzing the collocational properties of the verbs "achieve," "attain," and "accomplish." This study aimed to identify preferred, less-preferred, and anti-collocations (Pearce, 2001) for these verbs and to explore any overlaps in their collocational patterns The author specifically examined noun objects as collocates, opting for the CWO over the COCA due to its ability to provide collocates based on specific syntactic roles rather than just parts of speech The command for extracting collocations in the CWO was straightforward, as illustrated in figure 3.2.
Figure 3.2 Command for collocation in the CWO (screenshot)
To compare the collocates of three verbs, the Sketch-Diff function in the CWO was utilized This tool enabled users to determine if a favored collocate of verb A is a less-favored or anti-collocate of verb B, and vice versa The findings were displayed in accessible lists and tables featuring authentic language examples.
This chapter outlines the research methodology, which combines corpus-based and intuition-based approaches Data was collected using two extensive open corpora, five general dictionaries, and one synonym dictionary The data collection process was conducted in three phases to address the three related research questions.
FINDINGS AND DISCUSSION
Word senses and frequencies of senses
This section presents findings on the distinctions among the verbs "achieve," "attain," and "accomplish," along with their frequency of use Initial analysis of dictionaries provided insights into definitions, usage, and synonyms, aiming to identify any overlapping meanings and notes on formality Subsequently, a study of 600 concordances from COCA and CWO was conducted to quantify the frequency of each verb sense in percentage terms.
The verbs achieve, attain, and accomplish are consistently defined across major dictionaries, showing a notable similarity in their meanings and the number of senses attributed to each verb.
The word "achieve" is consistently defined across five different dictionaries, each noting three distinct meanings The first two definitions are transitive, while the third is categorized as intransitive.
The term "achieve" fundamentally refers to the process of gaining or succeeding in something after considerable effort This definition is consistently reflected across various dictionaries, albeit with slight variations in wording For instance, the American Heritage Dictionary (AHD) describes "achieve" as "to gain with effort or despite difficulty," while Merriam-Webster (MWD) defines it as "to get or attain as the result of exertion." The Oxford Advanced Learner's Dictionary (OALD) emphasizes succeeding in reaching a specific goal or standard, particularly through prolonged effort.
- Achieve fame as a singer (AHD)
- Achieve a high degree of skill (MWD)
- They could not achieve their target of less than 3% inflation (OALD)
- Wilson has achieved considerable success as an artist (LDOCE)
- There are many who will work hard to achieve these goals (CAED)
According to various dictionaries, such as AHD and MWD, the synonyms for the word "sense" include "reach," while OALD and WNDS suggest "attain." This indicates that "achieve" and "attain" are indeed considered near-synonyms from the perspective of lexicographers.
The second definition of "achieve" pertains to the idea of succeeding in accomplishing a task or bringing about a desired outcome It emphasizes the successful execution of actions or the ability to cause something to happen.
- All you‘ve achieved is to upset my parents (OALD)
- Achieve an improvement in foreign relations (AHD)
In terms of synonym, OALD names accomplish as a synonym for this sense of achieve, so does MWD
The term "achieve" encompasses two distinct yet related meanings; the first emphasizes the effort required for success, while the second highlights the completion of a task.
The third and final definition of "achieve" refers to being successful or attaining a desired goal, as noted by various dictionaries This intransitive use of "achieve" emphasizes the accomplishment of success without requiring a direct object.
- Their background gives them little chance of achieving at school (OALD)
- We want our students to achieve within their chosen profession (LDOCE) Attain
The definitions of attain, like those of achieve, are quite similar across different dictionaries To be specific, all the dictionaries agree on two main senses of the word
The term "attain" closely aligns with "achieve," meaning to succeed in obtaining something through significant effort It signifies reaching a goal after prolonged attempts, as demonstrated in various contexts.
- attain a diploma by hard word (AHD)
- Most of our students attained five ‗A‘ grades in their exams (MWD)
- More women are attaining positions of power (LDOCE)
- Jim is halfway to attaining his pilot‘s licence (CAED)
The term "attain" refers to the action of reaching a specific age, size, level, or condition While different dictionaries may use varied phrasing, such as "to attain a state or condition as a result of natural development," this can sometimes lead to confusion Examples illustrating this meaning further clarify its usage.
- Redwoods can attain a height of 300 feet (AHD)
- They attained the top of the hill (MWD)
- She attained a ripe old age (MWD)
- The cheetah can attain speed of up to 97kph (OALD)
- After a year, she had attained her ideal weight (LDOCE)
- He attained preferment over his fellows
The term "attain" is synonymous with "achieve" in its primary meaning, as noted by AHD, MWD, and CAED In its secondary sense, it aligns with words like "obtain," "get," "win," and "reach," according to MWD and CAED This further illustrates the synonymy between "achieve" and "attain."
The definitions of "accomplish" across various dictionaries are largely consistent, sharing a fundamental meaning However, MWD distinguishes the word's nuances Dictionaries like AHD, OALD, LDOCE, and CAED define "accomplish" as succeeding in doing or completing something, aligning with the second sense of "attain." Several examples are provided to illustrate this meaning.
- If we‘d all work together, I think we could accomplish our goal (CAED)
- The first part of plan has been safely accomplished (OALD)
- That‘s it Mission accomplished (=we have done what we aimed to do) (OALD)
While most dictionaries define "accomplish" with a single meaning, MWD offers four distinct interpretations The first definition is "to bring about a result through effort," as in "have much to accomplish today." The second aligns with other dictionaries, meaning "to bring something to completion or fulfill something," such as "accomplish a job." The third sense, which refers to "succeeding in reaching a stage in a progression," is unique to MWD and closely resembles the second definition, suggesting they could be combined without significant loss of meaning An example illustrating this sense is from W.H Hudson: "would starve before accomplishing half the distance."
The 1922 example serves as a notable instance, where covering half the distance can be seen as a significant accomplishment, rendering a separate listing of this shade of meaning unnecessary The fourth sense of the word in MWD, "to equip thoroughly," is an archaic definition that lacks any supporting examples, making its appearance in the concordances from 1990 onward unlikely In terms of synonyms, both OALD and LDOCE identify "achieve" as the primary equivalent.
The analysis of the verbs "achieve," "attain," and "accomplish" reveals that they are near synonyms, as they all convey the idea of gaining something through considerable effort However, while "achieve" and "accomplish" imply successfully carrying out or completing a task, "attain" focuses on reaching a specific age, size, level, or condition Additionally, "achieve" signifies the status of becoming successful, a meaning not shared by the other two verbs Table 4.1 illustrates the various definitions of these verbs, sourced from dictionaries, and their usage frequencies are examined later in this section based on an analysis of 600 concordances.
Register
The analysis of dictionaries reveals a limited perspective on the registers of "achieve" and "attain," with LDOCE being the sole source to offer usage notes indicating that "get some result" is more commonly used in everyday English, implying a formal tone for "achieve." Both OALD and LDOCE categorize "attain" as formal as well However, there is a lack of usage notes regarding the formality of "accomplish." This insufficient detail fails to clarify the differences in tone among these verbs or their preferred genres This section presents findings on the frequencies and formality of these verbs, sourced from the COCA.
The Wordlist function of the COCA allows for an analysis of various genres related to target lemmas, revealing the frequency of each verb within the corpus Table 4.3 illustrates the total occurrences of three specific verbs across five distinct genres: SPOKEN, FICTION, MAGAZINE, NEWSPAPER, and ACADEMIC JOURNAL.
Spoken Fiction Magazine Newspaper Academic TOTAL Achieve 4836 2090 9785 5888 22507 45106
Table 4.3 Frequencies of achieve, attain and accomplish in different genres
Achieve is the most popular term among the three, boasting a total of 45,106 tokens, nearly double that of accomplish.
(18278 tokens) and nearly nine times as much as that of attain (5743 tokens)
Figure 4.1 The proportion of tokens in different genres for achieve, attain and accomplish
Figure 4.1 illustrates the distribution of verb tokens across different genres in percentage terms Notably, "achieve" and "attain" are predominantly used in ACADEMIC JOURNALS, comprising 50% and 61% of their respective tokens Additionally, "accomplish" is also frequently found in this genre, although it represents only about one-third of its total tokens In MAGAZINES, the usage of all three verbs—achieve, attain, and accomplish—averages around 20%.
Academic accomplish is quite just as common in SPOKEN and NEWSPAPER with 19% and
Statistics reveal that the verbs "achieve" and "attain" have significantly lower usage rates, at 18% each, within their respective genres Notably, the least favored category is fiction, which accounts for less than 10% of the total tokens for all verbs.
Based on the collected data, it can be concluded that the verbs "achieve," "attain," and "accomplish" all carry a formal tone, though their levels of formality differ "Achieve" and "attain" exhibit a significantly higher degree of formality, while "accomplish" leans slightly more towards a formal tone compared to the other two.
Collocational properties
This section explores the collocation patterns of the verbs "achieve," "attain," and "accomplish." The analysis includes not only the identification of preferred collocates—words that frequently co-occur with these target verbs—but also the recognition of less likely collocates, known as less-preferred collocates or anti-collocates Due to space limitations, the study focuses exclusively on object nouns.
The Word Sketch feature on CWO reveals the most common collocates associated with the verbs "achieve," "attain," and "accomplish." Analysis of the collected data indicates that the predominant objects are abstract nouns Additionally, the frequent occurrence of certain words suggests overlapping collocates among the three verbs Table 4.4 displays the mutual preferred object collocates and their respective frequencies.
Objects Frequency of co-occurrence objective 448 46 59 goal 1149 106 196 status 315 109 - level 448 97 - independence 225 24 - standard 166 49 - degree 137 34 - equality 97 11 - feat 260 - 249 aim 170 - 10 reduction 138 - 6 end 189 - 22
Table 4.4 Top mutual collocates of achieve, attain and accomplish
Achieving, attaining, and accomplishing are powerful verbs that closely associate with goals and objectives, which are often considered near-synonyms for specific aims The examples provided illustrate that reaching these goals typically involves a significant level of challenge For instance, personal commitment is essential for realizing the objectives outlined, highlighting the dedication required to succeed.
‗lessons learned‘ in order to be achieved Similarly, those in (5) (b) require
The company's CEO has established clear objectives and strategies, assigning serious responsibilities to team members This illustrates that "achieve" and "attain" can be interchangeable when referring to goals without altering the meaning Additionally, the example of combating terrorism highlights a complex goal that requires tools and support from Congress and the president.
(5) (a) …the lessons are learned, that actions are taken to ensure that nothing of this nature can happen again I have made a personal commitment to achieve these goals
(b) My job as CEO is to outline the company‘s objectives and the strategies to attain these goals To achieve them, we place heavy emphasis on true delegation of responsibility
(c) we will pursue this action until justice is served and terrorism is stopped Congress and the President have given us the tools to accomplish this essential goal
Many individuals seek assistance to either reduce their alcohol consumption or find a way to drink without facing negative consequences However, as highlighted, no effective solution has been discovered to accomplish these goals.
Elspeth highlights the fundamental dilemma faced by Africans: the choice between collaborating with whites for a gradual improvement in living standards or resorting to violence for a potentially quicker, yet risky, path to achieving their goals.
The panel cautioned that a completely robotic maintenance mission would function primarily as an experimental test program, aiming to achieve specific objectives simultaneously, which could lead to potential failures.
The objectives outlined in examples (a), (b), and (c) reflect a similar level of difficulty as seen in example (5) These objectives are either currently unachievable for anyone (5a) or carry a higher risk of failure than success (5b and 5c).
The terms "achieve" and "attain" are near-synonyms that share several strong object collocates, including status, level, standard, degree, independence, and equality The first four collocates refer to benchmarks or standards reached, such as obtaining a degree, whether as a qualification like a master's degree or as a level of popularity or control Conversely, independence and equality represent objectives pursued by individuals and communities, often deemed challenging to achieve.
(7) (a) She graduated from Northwestern University and achieved a master degree at Boston University in 1971
(b) Garlic, both fresh and encapsulated, is another remedy which has achieved a degree of popularity
(c) The psychological methods are relaxation, meditation, autogenic hypnosis and visual imagery, all of which use out natural abilities to attain a degree of control over some bodily functions…
South Vietnam gained true independence from French colonial rule with the overthrow of Bao Dai, culminating in the establishment of the Republic of Vietnam on October 26, 1955, at 5:00 a.m GMT in Saigon.
Reflecting on her journey, she recalls the challenging days spent sewing uniforms and curtains to make ends meet It's astonishing for her to realize how much she has accomplished in just over a year, achieving the independence she had long sought.
When Jamaica gained independence in 1962, the Cayman Islands opted to maintain their connection to Britain This decision, coupled with the establishment of a tourist board and the construction of an airport, significantly boosted the local economy, which has continued to thrive ever since.
When examining the near-synonyms "achieve" and "accomplish," it's important to note their shared collocates, including "feat," "aim," "reduction," and "end." Both "aim" and "end" signify objectives or goals that one strives to reach, while "feat" and "reduction" indicate successful outcomes that improve a negative condition For instance, collocations involving "feat" illustrate the successful attainment of these positive results.
(9) (a) How his critics must be wincing now When Back scored four tries against
Holland in a World Cup qualifier four years ago, he was the first England forward to achieve the feat since George Burton against Wales in 1881
(b) By the 1950s, there were several okapis worldwide, and the species had begun to breed in captivity, with Britain‘s Bristol Zoo earning particular renown for accomplishing this difficult feat
The preferred collocates of objects differ significantly among the verbs achieve, attain, and accomplish, highlighting subtle distinctions in their meanings Analyzing these unique collocating objects reveals important nuances between these near-synonyms Table 4.5 illustrates the specific objects that commonly pair with each of the three target verbs.
Table 4.5 Top object collocates of achieve only, attain only and accomplish only
The verbs "achieve," "attain," and "accomplish" are commonly associated with positive outcomes, but they exhibit distinct collocational patterns "Achieve" frequently pairs with nouns that signify success or victory, such as "success," "triumph," and "breakthrough." In contrast, "attain" is more likely to be used with nouns that indicate high status or significance, including "prominence," "popularity," "stature," and "eminence." Understanding these nuances enhances clarity in communication and emphasizes the specific type of achievement being referenced.
(10) (a) …Emily Bronte, partially successful in her poems but only achieving the real breakthrough in Wuthering Heights
Achieve Attain Accomplish objects freq objects freq objects freq
(i) success fame victory breakthrough peace balance
284 prominence popularity stature eminence perfection freedom
(ii) result outcome effect target
239 mission task purpose work deal deed journey
(iv) height rank age length speed
(b) Last season Chelsea achieved some magnificent victories over Premiership high-fliers…