A study of correlative conjunctions as cohesive devices (with reference to the upper-secondary english textbooks)

Trần Hữu Mạnh Năm bảo vệ: 2009 Abstract: Correlative conjunctions are taught in Upper Secondary School.. This study conducted a research of correlative conjunctions as cohesive devices

(with reference to the upper-secondary english

textbooks)

Vũ Hồng Quang

Trường Đại học Ngoại Ngữ Luận văn ThS Chuyên ngành: English linguistics; Mã số: 60 22 15

Người hướng dẫn: Assoc Prof Trần Hữu Mạnh

Năm bảo vệ: 2009

Abstract: Correlative conjunctions are taught in Upper Secondary School However, there is

little attention is paid on this area of grammar This study conducted a research of correlative conjunctions as cohesive devices with reference to the Upper Secondary English textbooks The correlative conjunctions in this study are “both … and”, “either …or”, “neither … nor”, and “not only… but also” They are correlative conjunctions which are taught in the Upper Secondary English textbooks Sentences that contains correlative conjunctions are collected and analysed both syntactically and semantically to prove that correlative conjunctions can be used as

cohesive devices This study also suggested tips for teaching and learning these conjunctions

Keywords: Tiếng Anh; Văn bản; Liên từ; Phương tiện liên kết văn bản

Content:

TABLE OF CONTENTS

Page Declaration

Acknowledgements

Abstract

Table of content

CHAPTER 1 INTRODUCTION

1.1 Rationale

1.2 Aims and objectives

1.3 Scopes of the study

1.4 Methodology

CHAPTER 2 THEORETICAL BACKGROUND

2.1 Discourse and Text

2.2 Textuality, cohesion and coherence

2.2.1 Textuality

2.2.2 Cohesion

2.2.2.1 Substitution and ellipsis

2.2.2.2 Conjunction

2.2.2.3 Reference

2.2.2.4 Lexical cohesion

2.2.3 Cohesion and Coherence

2.3 Segmenting Texts into Units

2.3.1 Using the sentence as the unit of segmentation

2.3.2 Using the T-unit as the unit of segmentation

2.3.3 Using the proposition as the unit of segmentation

2.3.4 Using the F-unit as the unit of segmentation

2.4 Semantic relations

CHAPTER 3 SYNTACTIC AND SEMANTIC RELATIONS OF

CORRELATIVE CONJUNCTIONS

3.1 Introduction

3.2 The syntax of correlative conjunctions

i

ii iii

iv

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3 2.1 Correlatives and their conjunctions

3.2.2 Correlative with phrasal coordination

3.2.3 Correlative with sentential coordination

3.2.4 Correlative with conjunction phrases of different syntax

3 2.5 Correlatives are focus particles

3.2.5 Correlative conjunctions of “not only … (but)” are used to link two

sentences

3.3 Semantic relations of Correlative conjunctions

CHAPTER 4 CONCLUSION

4.1 Summary

4.2 Some implications for teaching and learning correlative conjunctions

4.3 Some implications for materials

4.4 Some Implications for Translation

4.5 Conclusion

REFERENCE

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1.1 Rationale

”In the world of human beings, you won't find a language by itself - the Dutch language

strolling the canals, or the English language having a nice cup of tea, or the German language racing madly along the autobahn You only find discourse.” Robert de

Beaugrande (1997: 36)

It is unimaginable of a world without language We get through our days exchanging various oral and written language (or, talk and text) We live by language or discourse, not

in discrete audio or visual units but in connected sound waves and orthographic forms to which we assign meaning on the basis of our past experience with them and on the basis of the situations in which these waves and forms are used

Discourse analysis is concerned with the contexts in and the processes through which we use oral and written language to specific audiences, for specific purposes, in specific settings We might one cannot understand language fully without looking at language use

My research focuses on correlative conjunctions in English I attempt to make my

description both semantic and syntactic

There are at least three reasons why I believe it is important to focus on correlative

conjunctions Firstly, the correlative conjunctions will enrich our potential for interpreting the linguistic phenomena in English Secondly, although there has been some research in exploring conjunctions in general, little attention has been given to the study of correlative conjunctions Thirdly, our students have some difficulties in understanding and using correlative conjunctions

1.2 Aims:

The study is descriptive in nature and aims at finding correlative conjunction use is to connect discourse segmental units with reference to the Upper-secondary English textbook

1.3 Scope of the study:

The study concerns the contrastive analysis of correlative conjunctions which are taught in the Upper-secondary English textbook such as both … and, either … or, neither… nor, not only … but also in English The data for the study are from novels in English, textbooks, and other sources

This study will be text-based It will focus on the data of written English A large archive

of texts of different types, including written speech, news reports, literature, legal texts, academic texts, will be collected Then correlative conjunctions will be extracted from these texts and a corpus will be established

The data were collected by choosing from novels by famous English writers in the 20th centuries, mostly won the Nobel Prize, from textbooks, and other sources

The data collected will be analysed to find the bounding of correlative conjunctions in terms of syntax and semantics

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