A Contrast Effect in Judging the Grammatically of Sentences Violating the Subjacency Condition

1998 ◽  
Vol 86 (2) ◽  
pp. 467-475
Author(s):  
Hiroshi Nagata
Keyword(s):  
Surface Structure ◽  
Noun Phrase ◽  
Contrast Effect ◽  
Subordinate Clause ◽  
Anchoring Effect ◽  
Field Dependent ◽  
Two Factors ◽  
Surface Similarity ◽  
Adverbial Phrase

This study explored the anchoring effect in judging the grammaticality of sentences violating the subjacency condition. The sentences included either a noun phrase (NP-Extracted) or an adverbial phrase (AP-Extracted), each extracted from a subordinate clause. Anchor sentences had a surface structure similar either to the NP-Extracted targets (NP-Preposed) or to the AP-Extracted targets (AP-Pre-posed). 42 speakers classified as field-dependent judged the two types of target sentences given together with either the NP-Preposed anchors, the AP-Preposed anchors, or no anchors. Regardless of the targets judged, findings showed the contrast effect for speakers given the AP-Preposed anchors. This effect was also found when the speakers given the NP-Preposed anchors judged the AP-Extracted targets. Two factors, over-all rated grammaticality of sentences and surface similarity between anchors and targets, likely operated to produce the outcome.

An Assimilation Effect in Judging the Grammaticality of Sentences Violating the Subjacency Condition

1997 ◽  
Vol 84 (3) ◽  
pp. 755-767 ◽  
Author(s):  
Hiroshi Nagata
Keyword(s):  
Field Dependence ◽  
Noun Phrase ◽  
Subjective Experience ◽  
Sentence Type ◽  
The Other ◽  
Assimilation Effect ◽  
Anchoring Effect ◽  
Field Independent ◽  
Field Dependent ◽  
Embedded Clause

Two experiments explored the anchoring effect, particularly an assimilation effect, in judging the grammaticality of sentences violating the subjacency condition. Subjects judged two types of sentences similar on the surface but differing in judged acceptability. One sentence type included an embedded clause expressing the subjective experience of a matrix noun phrase (Subjective sentence) while the other sentence type did not include such a clause (Nonsubjective sentence). Exp. 1 showed the assimilation effect only for Subjective target sentences paired with Nonsubjective anchor sentences. Exp. 2, in which speakers' field-dependence was manipulated, showed a clear assimilation effect for field-dependent speakers. Thus, regardless of the type of target sentences judged, the judgments for field-dependent speakers approximated those made on the anchors, while such was not the case for field-independent speakers. Findings indicate that even the pattern of judgments between the two types of sentences was affected by an extragrammatical factor such as field-dependence.

scholarly journals Reanalysis processes in non-native sentence comprehension

2021 ◽  
pp. 1-14
Author(s):  
Hiroki Fujita ◽  
Ian Cunnings
Keyword(s):  
Eye Movement ◽  
Sentence Processing ◽  
Noun Phrase ◽  
Sentence Comprehension ◽  
Memory Trace ◽  
Main Clause ◽  
Direct Object ◽  
Subordinate Clause

Abstract We report two offline and two eye-movement experiments examining non-native (L2) sentence processing during and after reanalysis of temporarily ambiguous sentences like “While Mary dressed the baby laughed happily”. Such sentences cause reanalysis at the main clause verb (“laughed”), as the temporarily ambiguous noun phrase (“the baby”) may initially be misanalysed as the direct object of the subordinate clause verb (“dressed”). The offline experiments revealed that L2ers have difficulty reanalysing temporarily ambiguous sentences with a greater persistence of the initially assigned misinterpretation than native (L1) speakers. In the eye-movement experiments, we found that L2ers complete reanalysis similarly to L1ers but fail to fully erase the memory trace of the initially assigned interpretation. Our results suggested that the source of L2 reanalysis difficulty is a failure to erase the initially assigned misinterpretation from memory rather than a failure to conduct syntactic reanalysis.

Can College Academic Performance Be Predicted Using a Measure of Cognitive Style?

1996 ◽  
Vol 24 (4) ◽  
pp. 375-379 ◽  
Author(s):  
Ray Griffin ◽  
Godfrey Franklin
Keyword(s):  
Factor Analysis ◽  
Cognitive Style ◽  
Test Performance ◽  
Embedded Figures Test ◽  
Field Independent ◽  
Test Number ◽  
Field Dependent ◽  
Two Factors ◽  
Academic Potential ◽  
Correct Criterion

One hundred and forty-three subjects were identified as Field Independent or Field Dependent based on their performance on the Group Embedded Figures Test, a measure of cognitive style. Results indicated that Field Independent students performed significantly better on course tests and had higher academic potential as measured by the ACT, than Field Dependent students. A regression analysis was conducted to determine which measures would contribute variance to a course test (number correct) criterion. Although both the GEFT and the ACT were significantly related to course test performance, only the ACT contributed significant variance to the regression, F(1,141) = 12.99, r=.29, p <.01. A Principal Components Factor Analysis applied to the GEFT, ACT, and course test data identified two factors. The course tests were associated with factor 1 while the GEFT and ACT were more closely associated with factor 2. The regression and factor analysis results suggest that the ACT and GEFT tests are measuring similar or related constructs for this sample of subjects.

Anchoring Effects in Judging Grammaticality of Sentences

1992 ◽  
Vol 75 (1) ◽  
pp. 159-164 ◽  
Author(s):  
Hiroshi Nagata
Keyword(s):  
Contrast Effect ◽  
Intermediate Level ◽  
Anchoring Effect ◽  
The Third ◽  
Anchoring Effects

This study was undertaken to examine the anchoring effect in judgments of the grammaticality of sentences. Thirty-three students judged the target sentences involving an intermediate level of judged grammaticality. The first group of 11 subjects judged the sentences paired with the sentences involving high grammaticality (high anchor); the second group of 11 judged them when paired with the sentences involving low grammaticality (low anchor); and the third group of 11 judged them without being given anchor sentences. Analysis shows a clear contrast effect such that the subjects given low-anchor sentences judged the target sentences as more grammatical, while those given high-anchor sentences tended to judge them as less grammatical. Implications of the findings were discussed as they were related to Chomsky's contention about a native speaker's intuition regarding judgments of grammaticality.

scholarly journals Grammatical Structures in the Written and Oral Mode of ESL Students

2020 ◽  
Vol 2 (5) ◽  
pp. 48-60
Author(s):  
Rischelle G. Aggabao
Keyword(s):  
Noun Phrase ◽  
Quantitative Description ◽  
Phrase Structure ◽  
First Year ◽  
Esl Students ◽  
First Year Students ◽  
Verb Phrase ◽  
Language Class ◽  
Adverbial Phrase ◽  
Grammatical Structures

This study focuses on the survey of frequency and occurrence of phrase structure rules used in the written and oral mode of first year tertiary ESL students. It describes the sentence-embedded structures namely, nominal, adjectival and adverbial. As far as phrase structure rules are concerned, the constituents of the noun phrase, verb phrase, adjectival phrase and adverbial phrase are given structural labels. The researcher made use of the quantitative description of the oral and written structures of 76 first year students enrolled in a language class. The results of the study show that majority of the students write their essay using nominals followed by adverbials and the least used are adjectivals. In the oral mode, the most commonly used phrase structure rules are adverbials, followed by nominals and the least used are adjectivals. Though students have a good command of English in writing and speaking, they should be exposed to different communicative situations and develop a balanced style in expressing meaning using varied grammatical structures.    

Functions of the noun phrase

2020 ◽  
pp. 98-110
Author(s):  
Gerjan van Schaaik
Keyword(s):  
Noun Phrase ◽  
Noun Phrases ◽  
Main Topic ◽  
Existential Sentence ◽  
Possessive Constructions ◽  
Adverbial Phrase

Roughly speaking, only four syntactic roles can be distinguished for a noun phrase: subject, object, adverbial phrase, and predicate in a verbal sentence the predicate is a verb, in a nominal sentence it is a noun phrase, and in an existential sentence it is either var or yok. In a verbal sentence one or more objects may occur, depending on the type of verb, transitive or intransitive. Other sentence types do not allow for objects, but all types must have a subject, while one or more adverbial phrases are optional. All this forms the main topic of this top of that, it is explained how noun phrases are applied in genitive-possessive constructions.

Discontinuous noun phrases in existential sentences in English and German

1977 ◽  
Vol 13 (1) ◽  
pp. 53-66 ◽  
Author(s):  
H. W. Kirkwood
Keyword(s):  
Surface Structure ◽  
Noun Phrase ◽  
Noun Phrases ◽  
Prepositional Phrase ◽  
Existential Sentences ◽  
Recent Developments ◽  
Subject Noun ◽  
The Subject

In Kirkwood (1970) I noted that in the passivization of a sentence such as: (i) They issued a report on recent developments. i.e. (2) A report was issued on recent developments. a prepositional phrase on recent developments, which appears in some way to be attached to the subject noun phrase a report, may be detached from it in surface structure and placed after the verb. A similar phenomenon was observed in equivalent German sentences. Compare:

Eye Movements during Embedded Figure Tasks

1969 ◽  
Vol 28 (1) ◽  
pp. 271-274 ◽  
Author(s):  
Frederic J. Boersma ◽  
Walter Muir ◽  
Keri Wilton ◽  
Richard Barham
Keyword(s):  
Visual Search ◽  
Eye Movements ◽  
Field Independent ◽  
Field Dependent ◽  
Two Factors

Corneally reflected EMs of 16 field-independent and 16 field-dependent Ss were examined concomitantly with individually administered hidden figure items. The data suggested that field-independent Ss make more shifts between target and alternatives than do field-dependent Ss and that males are more deliberate in their visual search than females. The results were discussed in terms of two factors reflecting analytical perception, number of shifts, and mean length of time on target.

On amharic Relative Clauses

1972 ◽  
Vol 35 (3) ◽  
pp. 497-513 ◽  
Author(s):  
Hailu Fulass
Keyword(s):  
Surface Structure ◽  
Noun Phrase ◽  
Relative Clause ◽  
Relative Clauses ◽  
Subject Position ◽  
Underlying Structure ◽  
Relative Pronoun ◽  
Main Verb ◽  
The Right

In what follows I would like to discuss the structure of Amharic relative clauses. In the course of the discussion, I would like to make the following three claims which I will attempt to substantiate in turn. First, I believe that relativization is a kind of pronominalization and, consequently, the particle yä- that is attached to the main verb (or its auxiliary) of the relative clause is not a relative pronoun. Second, I maintain that the ‘yä- clause’ in subject position in Amharic cleft sentences is also a relative clause with an unspecified element as its head. My third claim is that Amharic genitive phrases originate from relative clauses and that the noun (phrase) in the genitive phrase to which the particle yä- is attached in surface structure is governed by a preposition in underlying structure, and the head of a genitive phrase is the head of the under-lying relative clause. In this connexion, I also argue that there is a rule in Amharic which moves the particle yä- (to the right) over, at least, one constituent.

scholarly journals Reanalyzing Definiteness in Bangla

2012 ◽  
Vol 38 ◽  
pp. 19 ◽  
Author(s):  
Priyanka Biswas
Keyword(s):  
Noun Phrase ◽  
Definite Descriptions ◽  
Linguistic Expression ◽  
Two Factors ◽  
Bare Nouns ◽  
The Cross ◽  
Selection Of

<p>Definite descriptions in Bangla are expressed via two morpho-syntactic patterns, namely the bare classifier and the bare noun, discussed in detail in Simpson et al. 2011. The bare classifier form consists of a noun phrase and a classifier without a numeral, syntactically derived by NP-movement across the classifier (“NP-raising”). In the bare noun form, there is no classifier or a numeral accompanying the NP. In this paper, I argue that two factors, “anaphoricity” and “uniqueness”, play important roles in the selection of the pattern of the definite expression in Bangla. The NP-raising structure is used exclusively in anaphoric contexts, and shows similar properties to “strong article” definites cross-linguistically (cf. Schwarz 2009). Uniqueness-based definites are expressed by bare nouns, which are otherwise similar in distribution to the “weak article” definites (Schwarz 2009). This paper contributes to our overall understanding of definiteness in Bangla, and of the cross-linguistic expression of anaphoricity and uniqueness aspects of definiteness.</p>

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