Blake states that Shakespeare is like food and that we take both very much for granted. It is only when we come across a passage of particular intensity in a play that we question how the language has been employed to achieve that result, just as it is only for exotic dishes that we enquire about the ingredients (1983:1).
It is definitely astonishing how the English Language has been influenced by this incredible playwright and poet. However, it is noticeable that the English Language has changed significantly since the Renaissance. Baugh and Cable (1993:235) argue that “the English grammar in the 16th and early 17th century is marked more by the survival of certain forms, constructions and usages that have since [then] disappeared than by any fundamental developments”.
Therefore, I want to show that the syntax of the verb phrase has changed since Elizabethan times. To achieve this, I will compare verb phrases in this term paper which occur in some of Shakespeare’s plays with Modern English verb phrases. First of all, I will define the term “verb phrase”. After that we will focus on transitive and intransitive verbs. Transitivity and intransitivity will be examined – and we will analyze how its usage has changed since Shakespearian times. Thirdly, I will talk about impersonal verbs and afterwards we will study reflexive verbs and the mediopassive. Finally, the passive, inchoative and reflexive meaning of transitive verbs will be discussed. The focus will be on the change or the disappearance of these constructions which occurred between the 16th century and today.
I will use some Shakespearian plays which will provide a basis in order to illustrate and to underline my arguments.
Table of Contents
1. Introduction
2. Syntax Changing of the Verb Phrase from Shakespearian English to the Present
2.1 The Verb Phrase
2.2 Transitive and Intransitive Verbs
2.3 Impersonal Verbs
2.4. Reflexive Verbs
2.5. Mediopassive (The Sentence Type “The book sells well”)
2.6 Passive, Inchoative or Reflexive Meaning of Transitive Verbs
3. Conclusion
Research Objectives and Core Themes
This academic paper examines the evolution of English verb phrase syntax by comparing constructions in Shakespeare's plays with those used in Present Day English. The primary research goal is to document the significant changes—or the disappearance—of specific syntactic structures, such as transitive, intransitive, impersonal, and reflexive verb usages, that have occurred since the 16th and early 17th centuries.
- Analysis of the structural definition and components of the English verb phrase.
- Investigation into the historical flexibility of transitivity and intransitivity in Elizabethan English.
- Examination of the transition from impersonal to personal verb constructions due to the loss of inflections.
- Exploration of reflexive verb usage and the development of mediopassive constructions.
Excerpt from the Book
2.3 Impersonal Verbs
“An abundance of impersonal verbs is a mark of an early stage in a language, denoting that a speaker has not yet arrived so far in development as to trace his own actions and feelings to his own agency” (Abbott, 1884:208). According to Abbott, there are many more impersonal verbs in Early English than in Elizabethan, and many more in Elizabethan than in modern English (1884:208).
But what is an impersonal verb? In linguistic terms, an impersonal verb is a verb which cannot take a true subject. This is because the verb does not represent an occurrence, an action or a state of being of any specific person, place or thing. In the English language, an impersonal verb takes the impersonal pronoun ‘it’ as its subject (Example: It rained yesterday). Gramley and Pätzold state that [impersonal verbs such as rain, snow and thunder] are often regarded as having no complement at all on semantic grounds since the subject it has no reference and is only a ‘dummy’ which must appear because predicators in finite sentences must have (grammatical) subjects (1992:137).
In ‘A Grammar of Shakespeare’s Language’, Blake argues that in Shakespearian English, impersonal verbs can have either a pseudo subject (usually ‘it’) or no subject at all (Blake, 2002:139). Today, former impersonal verbs are frequently used personally, with a nominative subject. Some of them are not in use any more and others are not common in their former construction in Present Day English. This means that in the history of English, a steady reduction in the number of these verbs was recognizable.
Chapter Summaries
1. Introduction: This chapter defines the linguistic scope of the paper, identifying the shift in English verb phrase syntax since the Renaissance and outlining the methodology of using Shakespeare's plays for comparative analysis.
2. Syntax Changing of the Verb Phrase from Shakespearian English to the Present: This core section provides a detailed breakdown of historical syntactic shifts, covering verb phrases, transitivity, impersonal verbs, reflexive constructions, and the emergence of the mediopassive.
2.1 The Verb Phrase: This section establishes the theoretical framework by defining the verb phrase as a syntactic unit acting as the predicate of a sentence.
2.2 Transitive and Intransitive Verbs: This section analyzes how Elizabethan English allowed for more flexible boundaries between transitive and intransitive verbs compared to modern standards.
2.3 Impersonal Verbs: This section explores the historical reduction of impersonal verbs and their shift toward personal constructions following the loss of inflectional endings.
2.4. Reflexive Verbs: This section discusses the historical frequency of reflexive verb forms and their subsequent evolution into modern intransitive constructions.
2.5. Mediopassive (The Sentence Type “The book sells well”): This section examines the mediopassive voice, detailing how transitive verbs have acquired intransitive meanings over time.
2.6 Passive, Inchoative or Reflexive Meaning of Transitive Verbs: This section provides examples of how a single active verb form can carry passive, inchoative, or reflexive meanings depending on the context.
3. Conclusion: This chapter synthesizes the findings, confirming the trend of reduction in complex reflexive and impersonal structures in favor of simplified, personal, and intransitive usage.
Keywords
Syntax, Verb Phrase, Shakespearian English, Transitivity, Intransitive Verbs, Impersonal Verbs, Reflexive Verbs, Mediopassive, Elizabethan English, Linguistic Change, Historical Linguistics, Inflectional System, Verb Semantics, Grammar, Renaissance English
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the core focus of this research paper?
The paper focuses on the syntactic evolution of the English verb phrase, specifically highlighting the differences between the language found in Shakespeare’s works and modern English.
Which linguistic phenomena are analyzed as central themes?
The central themes include the usage of transitive and intransitive verbs, the shift from impersonal to personal constructions, the decline of reflexive verbs, and the development of the mediopassive.
What is the primary objective of the author?
The objective is to document and analyze the disappearance or modification of certain syntactic constructions that were prevalent in Elizabethan times but have since shifted by the present day.
Which scientific methodology is applied here?
The author uses a comparative linguistic approach, contrasting excerpts from various Shakespearian plays with established grammatical rules and linguistic observations from secondary sources.
What topics are covered in the main section of the paper?
The main section investigates the structure of the verb phrase, the flexibility of transitivity, the role of impersonal verbs, the functions of reflexive verbs, and the semantic nuances of transitive verbs.
How would you characterize this paper through keywords?
The paper is best characterized by terms such as historical syntax, Shakespearian English, verb phrase evolution, transitivity, and linguistic reduction.
How did the loss of the inflectional system affect the use of impersonal verbs?
The loss of inflections during the Renaissance led to a trend where impersonal structures, such as "me thinks," were replaced by personal constructions with nominative subjects, such as "I think," to align with the evolving grammar.
What does the term "mediopassive" mean in the context of this study?
It refers to sentences like "the book sells well," where a verb that is formally active functions with a notional passive meaning, a structure that became more common after the Elizabethan period.
- Quote paper
- Dominik Lorenz (Author), 2008, Syntax changing of the verb phrase from Shakespearian English to the present, Munich, GRIN Verlag, https://www.grin.com/document/115417
