The English grammar has many similarities with the grammar of German, since both have their roots in the Germanic languages. Therefore English and German share lexical and structural, but also semantic properties. In order to deepen one’s understanding of these properties this paper will deal with differences and similarities of the English and German verb system.
Transitivity alternation is based on the syntactic distinction of verbs that are divided into transtive and intransitive verbs. This paper deals with both verb categories, taking into account semantic matters as well. In English and in German a verb can express the way in which an action affects its object, which is part of the so-called ergative model. This model shall be introduced in Chapter 2 with examples of the English language. After the introduction to the usage of ergative verbs a comparison of English and German structures follows in Chapter 3. Mistakes of translation are often due to structural and semantic differences within the ergative model. English and German verbs do not always provide the same variety of possibilities to express an action, therefore it shall be shown in Chapter 3.1 in which language the verb system is more flexible in regards to ergative processes. Chapter 3.2 deals with morphosyntactic differences of German and English within the ergative model. As the German structure shows similarities as well as differences to the English verbs, an attempt is made in Chapter 4 to discover potential semantic distinctions within those German verbs that either differ or resemble the English structure.
The aim of this paper is to bring out a comparison of the English and German language that gives an insight into their verb systems in regards to syntactic as well as semantic properties.
Table of Contents
1. Introduction
2. Ergative Alternation in English
3. English and German structures in comparison
3.1 The Analytical Causative Type and common mistakes
among English Learners
3.2 Morphosyntactic differences within the Ergative Model
4. A semantic approach to the German reflexive pronoun SICH
5. Conclusion
Research Objectives and Core Topics
The primary aim of this paper is to provide a comprehensive contrastive analysis of the English and German verb systems, specifically focusing on transitivity alternation and the ergative model. The research investigates how these languages handle causative and anti-causative processes, examining both syntactic similarities and distinct morphosyntactic differences that often lead to translation errors among language learners.
- Comparison of ergative verb patterns in English and German.
- Analysis of the "Analytical Causative Type" and its preference by German learners.
- Investigation of the morphosyntactic role of the German reflexive pronoun "SICH".
- Examination of selectional restrictions in causative verb constructions.
- Evaluation of syntactic flexibility in the English versus German verb systems.
Excerpt from the Book
2. Ergative Alternation in English
The major information about verbs provided by dictionaries is usually a syntactic differentiation between transitive and intransitive verbs. A transitive verb requires two arguments and occurs with a direct object, whereas intransitive verbs are not followed by an object noun phrase and only require one argument, the subject (Kilby 1984: 37). But in fact only few verbs correspond to this “ideal type”(Kilby 1984: 37) of restricted transitive and intransitive use, many of them can even be used both ways. In order to have a better understanding of the English verb system of transitivity it is necessary to introduce causative and anti-causative structures.
In the English language causative processes are very commonly used and refer to transitive verbs which express an action and allow for an intransitive variant (Kilby 1984: 38). The action is caused by a usually animate and conscious Agent that “directs its energy towards something or someone (the Affected), so that this undergoes the action named by the verb, with a consequent change of state” (Downing and Locke 2002: Seite 132). An example for that transitive-causative structure is the sentence “Paul opened the door” (Downing and Locke 2002: Seite 132), in which Paul is the Agent that expresses an action towards the Affected Theme the door.
Summary of Chapters
1. Introduction: This chapter outlines the scope of the study, defining the focus on the syntactic and semantic properties of the English and German verb systems within the ergative model.
2. Ergative Alternation in English: This section defines the concepts of transitive, intransitive, causative, and anti-causative structures and introduces the "ergative pair" concept.
3. English and German structures in comparison: This chapter provides a comparative overview of four causative verb types and highlights the structural differences between the two languages.
3.1 The Analytical Causative Type and common mistakes among English Learners: This section analyzes why German learners of English tend to favor analytical verbal phrases over other structural alternatives.
3.2 Morphosyntactic differences within the Ergative Model: This chapter examines the usage of the reflexive pronoun "SICH" in German as a marker for derived intransitivity compared to English structures.
4. A semantic approach to the German reflexive pronoun SICH: This section investigates whether a consistent semantic rule dictates the use of the pronoun "SICH" versus non-marked verbs in German ergative pairs.
5. Conclusion: The concluding chapter synthesizes the findings, noting the greater flexibility of the English system and the difficulty of establishing a universal semantic rule for the German reflexive marker.
Keywords
Ergative Alternation, Transitivity, Causative, Anti-causative, English Grammar, German Grammar, Reflexive Pronoun, SICH, Morphosyntactic, Derived Intransitivity, Contrastive Linguistics, Verb System, Agent, Affected Theme, Object-Preposing.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the primary focus of this linguistic research?
The paper focuses on the contrastive analysis of the English and German verb systems, specifically examining transitivity alternation and how causative and anti-causative processes are structured in both languages.
What is the central research objective?
The objective is to identify and explain the structural and semantic similarities and differences in ergative verb patterns between English and German, specifically regarding how language learners navigate these systems.
Which linguistic model serves as the theoretical framework?
The research is based on the "ergative model," which deals with the relationship between agents, affected themes, and the syntactic movement of objects in transitive and intransitive clauses.
What methodology is employed in this study?
The study utilizes a contrastive linguistic methodology, drawing on existing grammatical theories and comparing specific examples of English and German verbs to highlight structural patterns and common errors.
What topics are covered in the main body of the text?
The main body covers the definition of ergative alternation, the preference for analytical causative structures, the morphosyntactic role of the reflexive pronoun "SICH," and selectional restrictions in causative verbs.
What is the main finding regarding English and German verb flexibility?
The study concludes that the English verb system offers more flexibility for expressing causativity, whereas German learners often default to analytical verbal constructions because they perceive them as safer or more direct equivalents.
How does the use of "SICH" distinguish German ergative verbs?
In German, many derived intransitive verbs are marked with the reflexive pronoun "SICH," which occupies the position of the vacated object-NP, a feature that has far fewer counterparts in English.
Are there general rules for when to use "SICH" in German?
The author concludes that while some hypotheses exist regarding the implication of human intervention, it is not possible to establish a universal semantic rule for the presence or absence of "SICH" in German derived intransitivity.
How does the verb "rollen" demonstrate the complexity of the ergative model?
The verb "rollen" is used as a case study to show how the presence or absence of "SICH" can correlate with the animation of the subject and whether the process requires continuous human intervention.
What are "SELF-verbs" in English?
"SELF-verbs" are English verbs that, similar to German SICH-verbs, use a reflexive pronoun (like "itself") in the intransitive variant of an ergative pair to mark an empty object position.
- Citation du texte
- Franziska Scholz (Auteur), 2009, Transitivity Alternation, Munich, GRIN Verlag, https://www.grin.com/document/138176
