Rationale
Grammar is a crucial aspect of language learning, particularly in English, where it encompasses a set of morphological and syntactic rules that help learners apply their knowledge in real-life situations ESL students often face challenges and ambiguities when mastering negation, a key component of English grammar found in various texts and everyday conversations This phenomenon is recognized in linguistics, prompting extensive study by linguists who have explored the diverse morphological and syntactic rules from various perspectives over the years.
Negation plays a crucial role in Vietnamese grammar, and numerous studies have aimed to clarify this concept However, Vietnamese learners often find it challenging to grasp negation in English due to the limited similarities between the two languages This difficulty is the primary reason for selecting the topic of negation for this graduation paper.
This graduation paper aims to provide insights into the syntactic and semantic aspects of negation in English and their Vietnamese counterparts, offering valuable assistance to learners in their studies.
Aims of the study
With the rationale above, this graduation paper is aimed at:
- Making a brief preview of theory of syntax and semantics and giving an overview of syntactic and semantic features of negation in both English and Vietnamese
- Studying negation in terms of its structures and semantics and finding out the similarities and differences between English and Vietnamese
- Applying the findings of negation in a typical text, the text of President Barack Obama’s inaugural address
Negation is a complex area of English grammar, making it challenging to address all its facets comprehensively This graduation paper focuses specifically on the syntax and semantics of negation in English, along with a contrastive analysis of its Vietnamese equivalents Additionally, it examines negation within President Barack Obama’s inaugural address to highlight the similarities and differences between negation in English and Vietnamese.
This article begins by examining negative structures and expressions based on English grammar sources It then systematically analyzes the syntactic and semantic features of negation A contrastive analysis is presented to compare English negation with its Vietnamese equivalents Finally, the paper utilizes statistical data on the use of negation in President Barack Obama’s inaugural address to illustrate the discussed theories.
With the aims and the method mentioned above, this graduation paper is designed in 3 parts:
Part A is the Introduction giving the reasons for choosing the topic, the aims of the study, the scope of the study, the methods and the design of the study
Part B is the Development including three chapters:
This article explores the syntax and semantics of negation in English and Vietnamese, beginning with an overview in Chapter 1 that includes a preview of contrastive analysis theory Chapter 2 delves into the various forms of negative structures in English, comparing them to their Vietnamese counterparts in both syntactic and semantic aspects Finally, Chapter 3 analyzes the use of negation in President Barack Obama’s inaugural address, highlighting its significance in the context of his speech.
Part C is The Conclusion giving all the brief results of the thesis paper The references put an end to the study
This graduation paper aims to explore the syntactic and semantic features of negation in English and Vietnamese It emphasizes the importance of understanding the interplay between syntax and semantics in the study of negation, providing a comprehensive overview of these linguistic elements in both languages.
1.An overview of syntax and semantics
According to Talmy Givon in "Syntax Volume 1" (2001), the process of contextual adaptation involves the relationship between words and how they combine to create coherent sentences, highlighting the significance of grammar and syntax in language structure.
The writer, basing on this theory, would like to discuss the concept of syntax as follows:
Syntax refers to the arrangement of words into larger units like phrases, clauses, and sentences, and is essential for understanding their meaning in context As a key branch of grammar, syntax plays a crucial role in how words are organized, significantly influencing the meaning of utterances in English and other languages.
Syntax defines the arrangement of words in a sentence, illustrating that "Susan loves David" does not imply that "David loves Susan." It governs the sequence of the subject and verb, the placement of modal auxiliaries, objects, and complements, as well as the relationship between modifiers and the words they modify.
Semantics, originating from the Greek word "semaino," translates to signify or mean It is a crucial component of semiotics, the broader study of signs, focusing specifically on how words function as symbols and how language operates as a system of these signs (Robert Dixon, 2005:40, "A New Approach to English Grammar on Semantic Principles")
Understanding a language involves the ability to construct and comprehend sentences that convey specific meanings Semantics, the study of linguistic meaning, focuses on the meanings of words, morphemes, phrases, and sentences While the concept of meaning is widely recognized, it encompasses a variety of definitions found in dictionaries.
According to Frank Robert Palmer in his 1981 work "Semantics" published by Cambridge University Press, semantics is a crucial component of linguistics, which is the scientific study of language He emphasizes that learners should explore the concept of meaning within the context of academic and scientific frameworks, rather than relying solely on common or scholarly interpretations of relevant terms.
Semantics is the study of meaning in language, focusing on both grammatical and lexical meanings Grammatical meaning encompasses all the grammatical attributes of a word, while lexical meaning represents a specific concept or notion Within lexical meaning, there are two key components: denotative meaning, which refers to the literal definition, and connotative meaning, which encompasses the associations and emotions linked to a word.
Semantics encompasses various aspects of word meaning, including polysemy, homonymy, synonymy, and antonymy It also examines the evolution of meaning through figures of speech such as metaphor, metonymy, hyperbole, and irony These elements contribute to the overall formation of semantic structure.
1.3 Relation between syntax and semantics
Emmon Bach (Emmon, Bach, 2001: 85 “Syntactic theory University of Massachusetts”) studied the relationship between Syntax and Semantics as
Generative and interpretive semantic-syntactic theories are strongly equivalent
The relationship between word meanings and their syntactic properties is evident across various languages Systematic differences in meaning among words often correspond to variations in their syntactic environments For instance, in English, a significant correlation exists between a verb's semantic attributes and its syntactic behavior, a pattern that is also observable in many other languages.
The relationship between syntax and semantics in language is intricate, as they influence each other in both directions According to Richmond H Thomason (1996), the meaning of a sentence is determined not only by its individual words but also by its syntactic structure Understanding this connection is crucial for grasping how language conveys meaning.
It is obvious that syntax means word order and semantics means meaning
Word order significantly impacts meaning in English, which can be understood through the lens of grammar and semantics Grammar itself is divided into morphology and syntax; morphology focuses on how words are constructed from smaller units, such as the use of -ing for present continuous tense or 's for possessive forms Altering the structure of sentences can lead to changes in meaning, highlighting the importance of correct word order.
Susan loved David vs David loved Susan
As you can see, both morphology and syntax can affect meaning: Susan loves
Design of the study
With the aims and the method mentioned above, this graduation paper is designed in 3 parts:
Part A is the Introduction giving the reasons for choosing the topic, the aims of the study, the scope of the study, the methods and the design of the study
Part B is the Development including three chapters:
Chapter 1 provides an overview of syntax and semantics, focusing on the syntactic and semantic features of negation in English and Vietnamese, while also introducing the theory of contrastive analysis Chapter 2 serves as the core of this graduation paper, applying the theories discussed in Chapter 1 to examine negative structures in English and their Vietnamese equivalents, emphasizing both syntax and semantics Chapter 3 analyzes the use of negation within President Barack Obama’s inaugural address.
Part C is The Conclusion giving all the brief results of the thesis paper The references put an end to the study
Literature Review
Classification of negation in English and Vietnamese
2 An overview of classification of negation in English and Vietnamese 2.1 Classification of negation
Rodney Huddleston and George K.Pullum,2002:34 “The Cambridge grammar of the English language Cambrige University Press “ distinguish three types of negation as following:
The first type is Clause Negation, through which the whole clause is syntactically treated as negative;
Secondly, Local Negation, in which one constituent is negated;
The last type is Predication Negation, a minor type applying only after certain auxiliaries, in which the predication is negated
According O.Jespersen's,1917:98 (“Negation in English and Other
Negation serves to oppose or negate a word, typically transforming it into its opposite meaning In English, negative words are usually placed directly before the verb they modify Key contributions to the understanding of negation include categorizing it into strong and weak forms, as well as direct and indirect types, alongside complete and incomplete negation However, some of these classifications are influenced by principles of logic and psychology, as noted by American grammarians such as Randolph Quirk.
The "University Grammar of English" by Downing and Locke (1992) examines the structural features of English grammar, focusing on the analysis of negation both semantically and syntactically It highlights the significance of quantifiers and intensifiers, as well as the expression of negation across various statements.
In Vietnamese, grammar is so complicated, Diệp Quang Ban,1992:206
“Ngu phap Tieng Viet” distinguishes negation in Vietnamese as two main types following:
First, Descriptive negation is used in describe process to negate the characteristic of thing or person
Trời hôm nay không mưa, mà cũng không có nắng [5: 206]
Second, Denial negation used to refuse something positive
Anh biết việc này chứ?
Nào tôi có biết đâu/ Tôi đâu có biết [5: 206]
Hữu Đạt,2000:117 “Tieng Viet thuc hanh” has written that there are many ways to express negation in Vietnamese The two common are direct and indirect statement [4: 117]
The first is direct negation with the negative words: không, chẳng, chưa, mà, gì, đâu And the second, indirect negation is made by question negation For instance:
Việc đó giám đốc đâu giải quyết được
Làm sao mà giám đốc giải quyết được? [4: 116]
Cao Xuân Hạo (1991:233) distinguishes between two types of negation in Vietnamese grammar Firstly, comprehensive negation serves as an appraisal that denies the existence of certain themes, utilizing negative words such as không, chẳng, and chưa, often combined with the existential word có and indefinite interrogative pronouns like gì, nào, đâu, bao, sao, or mấy Secondly, the denial of comprehensive appraisal is recognized as a super linguistic speech act, expressed through phrases like không, chẳng phải (là) before the appraisal or by using the modality group có phải là followed by the appraisal, typically ending with the particle đâu.
2.2 What is scope of negation?
A negation item governs a nonassertive only when the latter falls within the scope of negation Typically, the scope of negation extends from the negative item to the end of the clause, although it may exclude an end-placed adverbial.
She definitely didn’t speak to him (1)
She didn’t definitely speak to him (2)
(The scope is marked by the horizontal brackets)
The contrast between sentences highlights the role of negation, where adverbials preceding negative elements like "not" or "never" typically fall outside the scope of negation Understanding both the scope and the focus of negation is crucial, as emphatic stress on specific words conveys nuanced meanings A distinctive or contrastive nuclear stress on a part of the clause reveals the implicit contrast in meaning due to negation, suggesting that the remaining clause can be interpreted positively Therefore, scope and focus are interconnected, with the scope encompassing the focus for a comprehensive understanding of negation.
Contrastive analysis in learning a foreign language…………… 9,10 4 Summary
Contrastive analysis (CA), as defined by Carl James in 1980, is a key aspect of inter-language study and applied linguistics It provides valuable insights not only for practical language use but also for translation theory, language description, typology, and the exploration of language universals In the context of bilingualism, CA examines how a person's first language influences the acquisition of a foreign language.
Linguistic descriptions suggest four fundamental categories: unit, structures, class, and system They are explained with some points as:
Unit The units of grammar which enter into the description of English and any related language are: sentence – clause – phrase – word
– morpheme In traditional CA, one does not analyze, nor, in the case of CA, units larger than sentences
Structure This category is the one of most familiar to language researchers
A structure is thus a arrangement of elements ordered in places
Class There are restrictions on which units can operate at given places in structures
System System operates over the domains of units: there are systems of sentences, of clauses, of groups, of words, and of morphemes
Students learn to identify the similarities and differences between various cultures in areas such as syntax, semantics, and pragmatics based on the source language This understanding is crucial for preventing ambiguity and misunderstandings in interactions with foreigners and during text translation.
The role of contrastive analysis in making comparison of negation in English and Vietnamese in terms of semantic and syntactic features is clearly presented in the next chapters
This chapter explores the concept of negative interface by providing an overview of negation in both English and Vietnamese, along with a preview of syntax and semantics theory The classification of negation outlined here aims to offer a comprehensive understanding for learners studying English negation Additionally, the foundational theory of contrastive analysis included in this chapter is intended to support the success of further studies in the subsequent chapter.