Experimentally assessing the roles of grammatical aspect, lexical aspect and coreference patterns for the inference of temporal relations in English

AbstractTwo empirical studies – a verb elicitation experiment and a collostructional analysis – were conducted to investigate the Mandarin LVS construction with respect to the lexical semantics of the verb and its collocation with grammatical aspect. Converging evidence from both studies indicates strong schematicity and productivity in the verb category of the LVS construction. Although most exemplars fall into a few major lexical semantic clusters, there are more low-frequency marginal exemplars than previously recognized, reinforcing the constructional schema in an essentially radial category. In addition to the lexical semantic regularity of the verb slot, both studies showed the existence of high-frequency tokens with prototype status. As far as grammatical aspect is concerned, the converging evidence indicates that the LVS category is compatible not only with the durative aspect, but also with the perfective as well as the resultative and directional lexical aspect. The attraction of grammatical aspect to the verb of LVS is graded rather than absolute, with some mutual selection patterns more typical than others. The two grammatical aspects as marked by the durative -zhe and the perfective -le are non-interchangeable.

Download Full-text

Aspectuality in Welsh

Roczniki Humanistyczne ◽

10.18290/rh216911-2s ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 69 (11 Zeszyt specjalny) ◽

pp. 9-28

Author(s):

Sabine Asmus

Keyword(s):

Field Work ◽

Grammatical Category ◽

Lexical Aspect ◽

Grammatical Aspect ◽

Slavic Languages ◽

Linking Elements

When discussing aspectuality, a distinction is normally made between grammatical and lexical aspect. Both are linked, to varying degrees, to the category of tense. The existence of grammatical aspect in a language is normally accepted if it is fully expressed in a grammatical category, preferably a verbal one, as seems to be prototypically encoded in some Slavic languages. Questions concerning aspect have been posed for Welsh, since perfectivity could be expressed by the verbal particle ro- in its older stages. However, Modern Welsh differentiates synthetically between six tenses for the verb bod ‘to be’ and four for all of the others (save defective verbs) in the Indicative, the category looked at here. It is little surprising, therefore, that the aspect dichotomy of perfectivity vs. imperfectivity is not expressed morphologically. However, based on field work, it has been established that issues of aspectuality in Welsh are typically expressed by employing its periphrastic VSO structure, i.e. verb–noun constructions with linking elements of varying synsemantica between the finite VS- and the “O-phrase” (complement).

Download Full-text

From rule-based explicit instruction to explicit knowledge

Instructed Second Language Acquisition ◽

10.1558/isla.18098 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 5 (1) ◽

Author(s):

Elizabeth M. Kissling

Keyword(s):

Pilot Study ◽

Binary System ◽

Explicit Knowledge ◽

Explicit Instruction ◽

Spanish Speakers ◽

Rule Based ◽

Lexical Aspect ◽

Grammatical Aspect ◽

University Level ◽

The Difference

This pilot study investigated university-level intermediate Spanish learners’ (n=16) explicit knowledge about a contrast in grammatical aspect (preterite/imperfect) after they received rule-based explicit instruction. Prior studies have found that learners’ explicit knowledge about preterite and imperfect includes partially understood rules, which can have long-lasting effects on their performance, so it is important to investigate the disconnect between what is taught and what is learned. Learners completed a cloze test and then introspected about their performance. The data were analysed qualitatively and compared to verbalisations of L1 Spanish speakers (n=6). Four main themes emerged: learners failed to learn the concept of grammatical aspect, they demonstrated confusion about lexical aspect, they attributed the difference between preterite and imperfect to a binary system of lexical aspect feature complexes based on duration of the verb/predicate, and they relied on self-developed categorical rules about adverbial markers. Suggestions for modifications to the conventional pedagogical rules are offered.

Download Full-text

Einige Fragen der Aktionsart- und Aspektfunktion im Sprachvergleich

Studia Germanica Posnaniensia ◽

10.14746/sgp.2017.38.08 ◽

2018 ◽

pp. 91-108

Author(s):

Michail L. Kotin

Keyword(s):

The Other ◽

Present Perfect ◽

Grammatical Form ◽

Lexical Aspect ◽

Grammatical Aspect ◽

Slavic Languages ◽

Special Means ◽

Viewpoint Aspect ◽

The One

The contribution deals with selected questions of the interaction between the so called “lexical aspect” (the opposition between telicity and atelicity) and the grammatical aspect (or so called “viewpoint”- aspect, i.e. the opposition between perfectivity and imperfectivity) in the languages with and without the overtly encoded aspect. The striking point of the analysis is the “complexive” meaning of aspectual forms and constructions involving lexical atelicity by indicating durativity or iterativity, on the one hand, and grammatical perfectivity by indicating the complexive perspective of the verbal action on the other. This type of aspectuality was a special feature of verbal systems with the aorist category. My claim is, thus, that the contemporary English has a special grammatical form of the “complexive aorist”, i.e. the form of Present Perfect Progressive. The Slavic languages encode this function by using the – unmarked – imperfective forms of the verbs, whereas German uses special means of encoding the very same function on the whole-clause level, such as adverbials or definite vs. indefinite or zero article.

Download Full-text

LAGU “PERFECT” OLEH ED SHEERAN DAN “MARRY YOU” OLEH BRUNO MARS DALAM PERSPEKTIF ANALISIS WACANA

RESEARCH FAIR UNISRI ◽

10.33061/rsfu.v4i1.3411 ◽

2020 ◽

Vol 4 (1) ◽

Author(s):

Evy Tri Widyahening ◽

Imroatul Ma’fiah

Keyword(s):

Figurative Language ◽

Language Skills ◽

Community Members ◽

Written Discourse ◽

Lexical Aspect ◽

Poetic Discourse ◽

Grammatical Aspect ◽

Main Emphasis ◽

Close Relationship ◽

Song Lyrics

Oral and written discourse have a textual function that contains of ideas which expressed by participants. Through discourse, community members also have the opportunity to establish communication and relationships and can interact socially and cooperate. This discourse for communication also has a close relationship with one's ability to master the four language skills. Because by mastering the four language skills and knowing the function of language, a person will easily use both oral and written discourse to communicate and interact socially. Song lyrics are one example of written discourse that generally uses beautiful and figurative language. The lyrics of the song 'Perfect' sung by Ed Sheeran and 'Marry You' sung by Bruno Mars are lyrics which also use beautiful, melancholy, sentimental, and romantic language to attract young music lovers. The lyrics of the song are one example of how written discourse can be used to communicate using seductive language with musical accompaniment and can be used as a tool to form social interactions on social media such as: facebook, twitter, radio, and television. The lyrics of the song are analyzed the content of the discourse and examined from the perspective of the songwriter's intentions, goals, and thoughts; The context and inference aspects contained in both song lyrics; Grammatical and lexical aspects to see the song's cohesion and coherence. The results of discourse analysis on grammatical and lexical aspects provide a coherent and beautiful picture of the song 'Perfect' and 'Marry You'. From the grammatical aspect, it can be seen that the reference types of the first person singular (I, speaker) and second persona reference (You, speech partner) in the two lyrics are very dominant. The lexical aspect is not very often found in the song's poetic discourse but there are full repetitions in several lines (in chorus) that show the characteristics of the two lyrics of the songs. That part is the main emphasis on the meaning and intent that the songwriters wish to convey so that the listeners of the songs are able to understand their hearts.Key Words: Oral and Written Discourse, Song Lyrics, Context and Inference Aspects, Grammatical and Lexical Aspect

Download Full-text

Learning aspect in Italian as additional language. The role of second languages

IRAL - International Review of Applied Linguistics in Language Teaching ◽

10.1515/iral-2021-0033 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 0 (0) ◽

Author(s):

Francesco Vallerossa ◽

Anna Gudmundson ◽

Anna Bergström ◽

Camilla Bardel

Keyword(s):

University Students ◽

Native Speakers ◽

Romance Languages ◽

Control Group ◽

Romance Language ◽

Second Languages ◽

Lexical Aspect ◽

Grammatical Aspect ◽

Differential Learning

Abstract The study examines the role played by English and Romance languages (L2s) when learning grammatical aspect in Italian as additional language (Ln). Swedish university students of Italian (n = 34), divided according to knowledge of a Romance L2 and English aspectual knowledge, completed an interpretation task of aspectual contrast in Italian. Eight native speakers served as a control group. The findings showed that knowledge of a Romance language as L2 and high English aspectual knowledge exerted a differential influence on learning aspect in Italian. This outcome is discussed in the light of a consistent form-meaning relationship between the L2s and Italian. Yet, with a mismatch between grammatical and lexical aspect, the learners’ judgments differed from the native speakers’ judgments. Thus, our findings also support the idea of the existence of differential learning paths sustained by the L2s when learning complex aspectual configurations.

Download Full-text

Thinking for speaking in the right aspect

Revista Española de Lingüística Aplicada/Spanish Journal of Applied Linguistics ◽

10.1075/resla.18007.bul ◽

2020 ◽

Vol 33 (2) ◽

Author(s):

Vesna Bulatovic

Keyword(s):

Number Of Components ◽

Lexical Aspect ◽

Grammatical Aspect ◽

Linguistic Research ◽

Thinking For Speaking ◽

The Right ◽

The Impact ◽

The Given ◽

Aspectual Meaning

Abstract In this article we focus on the category of aspect and examine modern English grammars to see whether they give sufficient guidelines to the learner on how aspectual meanings are decoded and encoded in English. More precisely, we check whether the grammars reflect the abundant linguistic research on aspectual construal in English. Out of a number of components that play a role in the shaping of aspectual meaning, we look at the following four: lexical aspect, arguments, grammatical aspect, and tense. An overview is first made of the key theoretical findings on the impact of these four components on aspectual interpretation, followed by an analysis of the grammar content on the given components. Our conclusion is that only two comprehensive grammars we examined take into account the results of linguistic research on aspect to a certain extent and that there is a lot of room for improvement.

Download Full-text

The diachronic semantics of the Dissociative Past Completive construction in the Kikongo Language Cluster (Bantu)

Folia Linguistica ◽

10.1515/flih-2018-0011 ◽

2018 ◽

Vol 39 (2) ◽

pp. 297-340 ◽

Cited By ~ 2

Author(s):

Sebastian Dom ◽

Gilles-Maurice de Schryver ◽

Koen Bostoen

Keyword(s):

Temporal Structure ◽

Central Africa ◽

Recent Common Ancestor ◽

Lexical Aspect ◽

Language Varieties ◽

Grammatical Aspect ◽

Most Recent Common Ancestor ◽

Past Half Century ◽

Sentence Level ◽

Multiple Uses

AbstractThis article aims to give a semantic study of the reflexes of one specific tense/aspect form, namely the so-called*-a-B-aconstruction, in a cluster of about 40-odd Kikongo language varieties spoken in a wide area around the mouth of the Congo River in Central Africa. We first present a detailed analysis of the multiple uses of these cognate constructions at sentence level, in order to arrive at a formal and semantic reconstruction for the most recent common ancestor of the Kikongo Language Cluster, namely Proto-Kikongo. The analysis departs from the overall aspectual meaning of the linguistic expression in which the tense-aspect construction is used. Therefore, we also take into consideration the contribution of different aspectual tiers, such as lexical and grammatical aspect, adverbials and taxis constructions. Through the discussion of the multiple uses of the-a-B-aconstruction, we argue that its overall meaning is complex, combining both temporal and aspectual semantics. It is furthermore shown that a lexical-aspect distinction between states-of-affairs with transitional versus non-transitional temporal structure is crucial in order to understand the various uses of the-a-B-aconstruction. Methodologically, the formal and semantic reconstruction to Proto-Kikongo are based on a thorough comparison of a multitude of existing data sources, some of which several centuries old, as well as original fieldwork. This bottom-up approach has rarely been pursued over the past half century in Bantu grammatical reconstructions.

Download Full-text

L2 acquisition of Mandarin zai and -le

Chinese as a Second Language Research ◽

10.1515/caslar-2016-0001 ◽

2016 ◽

Vol 5 (1) ◽

pp. 1-25 ◽

Cited By ~ 6

Author(s):

Xiner Tong ◽

Yasuhiro Shirai

Keyword(s):

Applied Linguistics ◽

Past Tense ◽

L2 Acquisition ◽

Verbal Morphology ◽

Progressive Aspect ◽

Aspect Hypothesis ◽

Lexical Aspect ◽

Grammatical Aspect ◽

European Languages ◽

Aspect Marker

AbstractAlthough the Aspect Hypothesis has been tested in many European languages, it has not been investigated extensively in Chinese. The present study tested the Aspect Hypothesis in relation to two predictions: the Association Prediction, which predicts that perfective aspect (in Chinese, –le) will be associated with telic verbs and progressive aspect (zai) with activity verbs, and the Developmental Prediction, which predicts that such associations will be stronger at early stages of development. The study employed a controlled experiment, which elicited learners’ judgments on perfective –le and progressive zai in obligatory, incorrect, and optional contexts. The results show that the Association Prediction is only partially supported and that the Developmental Prediction is not supported, in that higher-level learners associate lexical aspect more strongly with the grammatical aspect marker. The results are more consistent with the Default Past Tense Hypothesis (Salaberry 1999. The development of past tense verbal morphology in classroom L2 Spanish. Applied Linguistics 20. 151–178), which we propose to be extended to the Lexical Insensitivity Hypothesis.

Download Full-text

Revisiting Aspect in Mild Cognitive Impairment and Alzheimer's Disease: Evidence From Greek

Frontiers in Communication ◽

10.3389/fcomm.2020.434106 ◽

2020 ◽

Vol 5 ◽

Author(s):

Christina Manouilidou ◽

Georgia Roumpea ◽

Anastasia Nousia ◽

Stavroula Stavrakaki ◽

Grigorios Nasios

Keyword(s):

Alzheimer’S Disease ◽

Alzheimer's Disease ◽

Cognitive Impairment ◽

Mild Cognitive Impairment ◽

Naming Task ◽

Sentence Completion ◽

Lexical Aspect ◽

Grammatical Aspect ◽

Completion Task ◽

Lexical Variable

The study investigates the ability of Greek-speaking individuals diagnosed with mild Alzheimer's Disease (mAD) and Mild Cognitive Impairment (MCI) to produce verbs that vary with respect to their grammatical and lexical aspect. While grammatical aspect has been examined in aphasia, there are only a few studies dealing with this in neurodegenerative conditions and their findings are contradictory. Motivated by this, we further investigate aspect by examining not only grammatical but lexical aspect as well and how their semantic and temporal features affect mAD and MCI individuals' performance. Thus, the major innovation of the study is that it examines aspect not only as a functional feature but also as a lexical variable, something addressed for the first time in the literature. We also address whether grammatical aspect interacts with lexical aspect and with time reference. Finally, by looking at Greek, we further contribute to cross-linguistic perspective of aspect investigation. 11 MCI and 11 mAD individuals participated in a picture naming task, targeting the investigation of lexical aspect, and a sentence completion task, targeting the investigation of grammatical aspect and its interaction with lexical aspect and time reference. Both groups of participants were found to be impaired in both tasks when compared to healthy controls. In the naming task, both group and lexical aspect were significant predictors for participants' performance. Specifically, more impaired performance was found in states (believe), achievements (break), and semelfactives (hit) compared to activities (run) and accomplishments (build) for both AD and MCI participants. In the sentence completion task, apart from group, neither grammatical or lexical aspect nor tense were significant predictors for participants' performance. While results indicate that both grammatical and lexical aspect are impaired in AD and MCI, a closer look suggests a dissociation regarding the temporal feature of duration. Specifically, as grammatical feature, duration does not appear to affect participants' choice between perfective and imperfective aspect. As a lexical variable, on the other hand, and as part of the lexical representation of a verb, duration (together with internal structure) appears to play a role in verb naming. Finally, the lack of interaction between lexical and grammatical aspect also indicates that these two subsystems can be affected differentially.

Download Full-text