000079751 Suggestions offered to the translation of the -ing form structure in to Vietnamese (Những đề xuất được đưa ra cho bản dịch của cấu trúc dạng -ing trong tiếng Việt.)

000079751 Suggestions offered to the translation of the -ing form structure in to Vietnamese (Những đề xuất được đưa ra cho bản dịch của cấu trúc dạng -ing trong tiếng Việt.)

Hanoi University ini i HA

00079571

-Ing form structure

Gì THU VIEW DAI HOC HANOI

Ì HANOI UNIVERSITY | JIBRARY

Acknowledgements

I would first like to express my deep indebtedness to my

Department, Hanoi University of Foreign Studies for his valuable

advice and help Without his precious guidance and comments, this work would not have been possible

I also acknowledge my gratitude to other lecturers of the English Department for their useful lectures and helpful suggestions

My thanks also go to my fellow students for their support and

encouragement

Last but far from least, I wish to convey my sincere thank to many others whose assistance are invaluable to me

Description of the -ing form

1.1 Definition and formation

1.2 The verbal character of the -ing form

1.3 The nominal character of the -ing form

1.4 The adjectival and adverbial

characters of the -ing form

1.5 The grammatical categories of the -ing form

1.5.1 The category of correlation

1.5.2 The category of voice

Chapter H Page 23

Suggestions offered to the translation

of the -ing form structure in to Vietnamese

and Vietnamese in terms of grammar

Vietnamese parts of speech

2.3 The -ing form as subject Page 25

verbal predicate

2.10 The -ing form as part of an absolute construction Page 39

Conclusion Page 41 Bibliography Page 44

Introduction

A great impulse has been given to the ceaseless development of the English language from the process of bridging the gap between the ever increasing need for diverse and varied means of communication

and the limitation of lingually expressive means This development is in the direction of what is considered perfect and fully-standardized in

terms of literary style

Syntax always develops closely and systematically, thus making

it difficult to discover and study major changes in the syntactical structure However, in comparison with what English was over the past

centuries, today’s English possesses various and multiformed ways of expressing words and phrases and is far more numerous with reference

to its syntactical means The -ing form takes no exception to those syntactically expressive means More than that, it is an active part of speech that can replace or perform most of the syntactical functions in

a sentence Its features with relation to parts of speech are extremely

variable

Thats why an all round and genuine description of the -ing form

as one of the non-finite forms of the verb (a verbal) must be a comprehensive and understandable reflection of what have been

acquired in the process of identifying, describing and generalizing the features of the -ing form Still, such a reflection can only be achieved

on the basis of the researcher raising a question : How the -ing form has been used ? Rather than how the -ing form must be used ?

Accordingly, the thesis has been divided in two 2 chapters

The first chapter of 15 pages is designed to give the essentials

concerning the -ing form with regard to its syntactical characteristics, expressed through its categories of voice and correlation ; IS syntactical combinability with other parts of speech in a sentence The verbal, nominal, adjectival and adverbial features of the -ing form can

be seen through the fact that it can share with these types of corresponding word part or whole of their syntactical functions

And the rest of the thesis is meant for some suggestions of the - ing form translation It gives general ways of expressing the -ing form

in Vietnamese, thus, helping Vietnamese learners of English get a betler understanding of the -ing form in terms of the usage and rendering of the -ing form into Vietnamese

As for the comparison between the -Ing form and its Vietnamese equivalents, it is really “a hard nut to crack” So far, many attempts at this matter made by Vietnamese linguists have, still, left much to be desired Furthermore, the key-note of this thesis is the description of the use of -ing form , the thesis being not a scientific research work, but a scientific description of what has been acquired in the study of the English -ing form on the basis of making many references to famous grammarians’ books relating to this matter

Also, as consequence, this thesis will not touch upon other matter of minor importance as to how the dropping of the final vowel and the doubling of the consonant of the stem of the verb (if any) in the

formation of the -ing form should be done That’s because its presence

in this thesi

is of no help to the study with a view to the use of the -Ing

form, let alone it may lengthen the thesis unnecessarily In this way, only what is considered indispensable and useful to the study will be

presented in this thesis

Chapter I : Description of -Ing form

1.1) Definition and formation

One of the frequent definitions of the -Ing form is expressed

by N.A Kobrina (1985), who states : “The -Ing form is a non-finite

form of the verb with some nominal, adjectival, and adverbial features

It is formed by adding the suffix-ing to the stem of the verb” The same

view is also expressed by E.M.Gordon (1980) He wrote after ranking

the -Ing form among the verbals of the verb : “The -ing form is built up

by adding the suffix-ing to the stem of the verb”

A somewhat broader definition of the -ing form by C.H Vivian (1968) should be mentioned here as it appear on page 297 in his

“Fundamentals for effective writing” “The -ing form is a word which shares part of the function of a verb.and another part of speech It shares with a verb the function of denoting action or being Unlike a finite verb, however, it does not make a predication” With regard to another part of speech he continues (1968), “the -ing form is distinguished specifically on the basis of whether the other part of speech whose function it shares is a substantive or a modifier”

All in all, definition are many However, there is no point in quoting others, for whoever they are given by, they bear the same content What is there that differs is the way of expressing one and only Undoubtedly, the problem of the -ing form is not the one that causes ambiguity It is acceptably regarded as a part of speech Thus,

no argument in defining the -ing form is needed Anyway, a common

definition can be acquired, though all the three above-mentioned definitions are acceptable

The -ing form (sometimes called a verbal) is a non-finite form of the verb, characterized by the ending-ing

E.g : taking, giving, doing

It shares the functions of a verb , a substantive, an adjective and

an adverbial modifier Its formation is by means of the suffix-ing added

to the stem of the verb

E.g : take- taking , do- doing

1.2) The verbal character of the -Ing form

According to N.A.Kobrina (1985), the verbal character of the

-ing form is morphologically manifested in the categories of voice and correlation and syntactically in its combinability Thus, like the other non-finites (the infinitive and ed-form) it may take an object

E.g: “She trapped him into marrying her .” (W.S.Maugham)

“Opening the door, he went out on to the terrace (Galsworthy)

It may also combine with an adverb or a prepositional phrase as

an adverbial modifier

E.g: “Leaving the room hurriedly, he ran out.”” (Thackeray)

“At six o'clock he awoke, quietly lying on his back (J.London)

Or with a noun or adjective as a predicative In this case, the -

ing form, in N.A.Kobrina’s view, generally stem from link verbs

E.g :“Papa will never consent to my being absolutely dependent

on you.” (G.B.Shaw)

“He always stands a chance of again hecoming a man with all

his faculties intact.” (J.D.Salinger) The -ing form may also be a modal verb semantic equivalents

when combined with an infinitive

E.g: “And the Little People showed no sign of being able to

make anything themselves." (H.G Wells)

1.3) The nominal character of the -ing form

Syntactically, the nominal character of the -ing form reveals itself mainly in its syntactical function but partly in its combinability

Or as Bernetta Jackson (1968) confirms : “it stands for something by naming it, thus it functions as a noun.”

Like a noun, it can function as subject, object, or predicative E.g : “Saying and doing are two things” (proverb)

“Normally, Joe favoured sitting down more than running.”

(A.Marshall)

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“The only remedy for such a headache as mine is going to hed”

E.g: “You will help us very much by going.” (.J Waten)

“The poor little fellows had to earn their living by offering

their thin bodies for shooting practice.” (C.Dicken) Like a noun, it can be modified by an adjective The best illustration is C.H.Vivian’s example

E.g: “Good writing makes easy reading”

Moreover, the -ing form can combine with a possessive pronoun ora noun in the genitive case denoting the doer of the action expressed

by the -ing form

E.g: “0 wonder at Jontyon's allowing this arrangement `

(J.Œalssworthy)

“WH was then as a symbol of his coming of age as it was.”

(J Waten)

It combine with the negative pronoun No in the idiomatic

construction of the type :

F.g: “There was no denying her wisdom” (J Waten)

“There is no mistaking of you” (J.Galsworthy)

“There is no accounting for tastes.” (Proverb)

1.4) The adjectival and adverbial characters of the -

ing form

According to E.A.Korneyeva (1986), the adjectival and adverbial features of the -ing form are manifested in its syntactical

functions as an attribute, as an adverbial modifier and as a predicative

The same view is expressed by C.H Vivian : “The -ing form” as he put

it "modifies a substantive; thus it functions as an adjective ”

E.g: “There was a doctor standing by my bed and it was

Tuesday afiernoon.” (A.Marshall)

“Having garaged his car, he remembered that he had not

lunched "(Galsworthy)

Non-perfect -Ing form borders on adjectives when used as

attributes or predicative adjectives as synonyms

E.g : amusing - funny

boring - dull

There are some adjectives that have lost their verbal meanings

E.g: interesting, charming

When they lost their verbal meanings they can be modified by

adverbs of degree used with adjectives, such as : very, so_,too,

exceedingly, greatly

E.g :"No doubt, these seem very gratifying, Dr Trench”

(B.Shaw)

“His thrift, which in the early days had seemed an amusing ,

rather touch trait, now revolted her.” (W.S.Maugham)

Here, I would like to come into detail the -ing form as adverbial

modifier of different semantic types cause it is a requisite foundation supported to its dealing with in chapter II

According to N.A.Kobrina, the -ing form can function as

adverbial modifiers of different semantic types (time, reason, manner,

concession, condition, purpose, comparison, and — attendant

The notion of time is explicitly expressed by the conjunctions

“when” and “while”

E.g: “When going up a broad staircase, we came to what may

once have been a hall of chemistry” (H.G Wells)

Or by preposition such as : on, after, in, before, since With the

help of these prepositions, priority, simultaneity or posterity are clearly

expressed

E.g: “George, on hearing the story, grinned” (J.Galsworthy)

“He had paused for a moment before answering”

E.g: “He stopped short on receiving a left-handed blow on the

nose.” (H.Drake)

b) The -ing form as adverbial modifier of reason (or cause) In

this function, the non- perfect -ing form are met frequently those of verbs denoting mental perception and emotion, such as : knowing, realizing, remembering, expecting, hoping, fearing, and some others

E.g: “Hoping to catch the train, we took a taxi” (E.J.Morris)

In addition, the -ing form as adverbial modifier of reason can be introduced by prepositions of which the most frequently occurring are

: because of, for, from, for fear of, on account of Thus the notion of

reason, remarks E.Mordon, “is explicitly expressed”

E.g : “So you see I couldn't sleep for worrying”

(W.S.Maugham)

However, according to R.Quirk et al, no preposition is needed when the -ing form is that of TOBE

E.g: “Being aman of ingenuity, he soon repaired the machine”

c) The -ing form as adverbial modifier of manner is usually

me

introduced by “without”, “by”, “instead of”

E.g: “Without screaming she hurried with the candle

upstairs to Bob Jackin's bedroom.” (H.B Drake)

In N.A Kobrina’s view , when no preposition or conjunction, the -ing form as adverbial modifier of manner is akin to an adverbial modifier of attendant circumstances However, the difference lies in the fact that an adverbial modifier of manner characterizes the action of the main verb

E.g : “Jonathan circled slowly over the far cliffs, watching”

prepositions such as : “without, “but for”, “in case of”

E.g: “But for meeting John, I shouldn't have become an English

g) As adverbial modifier of purpose, the -ing form is usually

introduced by the prepositions : “for”, “in the hope of”, though this

pattern, according to N.A.Kobrina is rare

E.g: “He used the knife for cutting the sausage” (J Waten)

h) The meaning of attendant circumstances is one of the most characteristic of the -ing form Observations by N.A.Kobrina show that

it is considered to be the main grammatical meaning of non-perfect -ing form From the point of view of time relationship the -ing form denotes some action or event parallel to that of predicate verb

E.g: “Deb was silent, fidgeting with the spoon in her saucer”

(.M.Gordon)

The verbs most frequently used in this way are durative (non- {erminative) When a terminative verb occurs, it would be more exact to call it an adverbial modifier of subsequent event or action, as in :

E.g: “A fish jumped, making a circle in the water” (Hemingway)

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1.5) The grammatical categories of the -ing fom

Voice

Correlation Active Passive

5.1)The category of correlation

The category of correlation, or “the time references” as

C.H Vivian(1968)termed, find its expression in the contrast of non-

perfect and perfect forms With regard to this, C.H.Vivian did not divide it in to perfect and non-perfect Perhaps, to make it simpler, he called it “ The tense forms of the -ing form” i.e “the present - tense form” and “the past - tense form” as he remarked “ corresponds in form to the present perfect tense of finite verbs it employs a part of the

verb-“to have” Even E.M.Gordon (1980) called the non-perfect form

mentioned above , “the simple form”

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Inspite of a variety of terms (if any more), they all refer to the time - indication of the -ing form Here, in this thesis, the non-perfect and perfect terms are used as far as the category of correlation is concerned

It is generally agreed that the non-perfect form suggests that the

action denoted by the -ing form is simultaneously with that of the finite verb Thus the time reference represented by the -ing form can be

understood only from the context

E.g : Plinio walked on ploddingly, not looking this way or that

(J Waten)

“The last turning had brought them into the high road leading

to Bath.” (Hardy) The perfect form represents time before that of the finite verb

E.g : “Having already been informed that he always slept with

a light in the room, I placed one of the two lights candles on a little

table at the head of the bed ” (Collins)

“Mr Bumble, having spread a handkerchief over his knees ,

began to eat and drink”

The meaning of priority may be accompanied by the notion of completion or duration, depending on whether the meaning of the verb

is terminative or durative This fact can be best illustrated by

N.A.Kobrina’s examples :

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E.g : “Pinny took the little packet and having brought no E J ý

bag, slipped it down her dress.”

“Having waited several hours in the snow to see me, he

was not likely to show much patience when the house was thrown into

the darkness.”

It is in general agreement that the perfect -ing form invariably

expresses priority, whereas non-perfect -ing form varies in its meaning

according to the context, expressing either a prior or a posterior action

The non-perfect -ing form denotes a prior action thanks to the lexical meaning of the main verb or the preposition suggesting priority Thus, the common -ing form is generally used after verbs of recollection, gratitude, blame, reproach, punishment or reward

E.g : “Her husband a man of her colour, ofien sneered at her for trying to live like a white woman." (K.Prichard.N 'Goola)

“T only wanted to thank you for writing to me.”

(W.S.Mangham) Immediate priority, according to M.l.Ossovskaya can also be expressed by the -ing form, formed from verbs of motion, sense of perception and verbs of certain specific actions associated with motion

These verbs as listed by N.A.Kobrina, are : to come, to enter, {o arrive,

lo turn, to leave, to see, to hear, to find, to put (on), to take (off), to

seize, to grasp, to open, to shut, etc

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E.g: “Sofily turning the handle, she suddenly threw the door wide open, just as the hell gave another jangle.” (L.Becke)

“Oh, cried Mrs Raddle, stepping to the door and shouting, so

that her husband could hear her down in the kitchen.” (C Dickens) The lexical meaning of the above mentioned verbs make the

use of the perfect form redundant However, its use is necessary when

an emphasis is required, for example :

“Twas tough in the knees, having crawled a lot in steep place

where my crutches were useless.” (A.Marshall)

“She denies having spoken with him”

Moreover, the non-perfect -ing form, as was remarked by

K.A.Guzeyevaetll, can expressed a succeeding action after verbs, adjectives and preposition referring to a future event, such as : to

intend, to suggest, to look forward, etc ; and after the preposition

“before”

E.g: “He insisted on coming downstairs with her and putting

her into a cab.” (W.S.Mangham)

“He was ashamed of having shown even the slightest

irritation.” (Bennet)

“We are looking forward to visiting new places

Ann suggested going to the cinema

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I'm not keen on getting myself into trouble.” (N.A.Kobrina)

The non-perfect -ing form may denote a_ posterior action, forming its part or being its result

E.g: “He dropped to his hands and knees and crawled afier

me, shouting.” (A.Marshall)

“Poor little Tom ! He felt , hurting his knee.” (H.B Drake)

As seen from the above examples, the non-perfect -ing form

denoting a prior action can precede or follow the predicate verb When

it denotes a posterior action, it stand always after the predicate verb

1.5.2) The category of voice

According to N.A.Kobrina, the -ing form of transitive verbs,

both non-perfect and perfect, possesses voice distinctions, which are realized in the contrast of active and passive forms

E.g:

languages

it to the teacher.”

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Through her examples, N.A.Kobrina remarked : “The active -ing form denoted an action directed from the subject The passive one denotes an action directed toward the subject.”

E.g: “I hate interrupting people.”

"Thate being interrupted.”

(N.A.Kobrina)

“I like being treated like a kept boy.”

“1 like having it thrown in my face.”

(W.S.Maugham)

To put it more practically, R.Quirk, wrote that “The implied

subject is normally the subject of the superordinate clause with regard

to the active -ing form.” The following examples is borrowed from him

“John denied having stolen the money.”

“John denied that he had stolen the money.”

The subject as the carrier of the action may coincide with the subject of the sentence as confirmed by N.A.Kobrina and R.Quirk But

it may also be the noun modified by the -ing form used attributively ; in

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whatever function the noun is used This fact was described by R.Quirk

as non- finite clause with subject as direct object

“There was the sound of heavy water slapping against her

need, to want, to deserve, to require

E.g: “She was a cockney, a thin, raddle, angular woman, with red hair which always untidy and looked as if it much needed

washing.” (W.S.Maugham)

“The slums want attending to, no doubt, he said.” (Galsworthy)

Also the -ing form can follow the adjective worth to convey a passive meaning

E.g: “ From all Ï can learn he's got no business, no income,

and no connection worth speaking of.” According to N.A.Kobrina, the non-perfect -ing form passive may denote process as far as the syntactical function of the -ing form and the aspectual character of the verb concerned She gave the following examples to confirm her own statement ; “Have you heard

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