1. Introduction
The main and most important part of this term paper is based upon a personal corpus- based study, which should from the start be clearly characterized as relatively restrictive and not quite large in size, in order to avoid any further problems and misunderstandings. This study I mentioned above concerns and tries to closely examine the phenomenon of collective nouns, and to be more specific, we will try to examine the concord with collective nouns in both British and American English of the 1990’s, always with the hidden desire to finally come with a reasonable conclusion towards the end of the paper.
In order to succeed in this procedure we will first try to give some short definitions of the most basic notions, which are used in the following pages. Then, we will proceed in describing the corpora, as well as the methodology used. Moreover, we will point out the problems that automatically arise from the fact of defining the collective nouns themselves on the one hand and of this corpus- based study as a whole on the other hand. After making these essential things clear, we will become more familiar with the theories regarding this subject; theories and theses that already exist, they have already been uttered and can be found in various books of grammar of the English language. Later on we will reveal and present the overall frequencies that derived from studying the corpora representing British and American English always in terms of concord with collective nouns. These frequencies will consist the exact findings of the study, regarding the percentages of collective nouns, which can be treated either as singulars or plurals. In addition, exploiting those findings a comparison should be made amongst the prevailing past theories and our findings from the corpora. Finally we will discuss potential topics for further studies on this subject, as well as the importance of the results of the study.
Table of Contents
1. Introduction
2. Corpora used
3. The problem of indefinable nouns in both corpora.
4. Overall frequencies
5. Findings
6. Conclusion
7. Bibliography
Research Objectives and Themes
This study aims to investigate the grammatical phenomenon of concord with specific collective nouns in both British and American English during the 1990s. By conducting a corpus-based analysis, the research seeks to determine whether collective nouns are predominantly treated with singular or plural verb forms in each variety of English.
- Analysis of collective noun concord using the FLOB and FROWN corpora.
- Examination of usage patterns for the nouns data, family, team, and government.
- Comparison of British versus American English preferences for singular or plural concord.
- Evaluation of existing grammatical theories against empirical corpus findings.
- Methodological discussion regarding the identification and classification of collective nouns.
Excerpt from the Book
1. Introduction
The main and most important part of this term paper is based upon a personal corpus- based study, which should from the start be clearly characterized as relatively restrictive and not quite large in size, in order to avoid any further problems and misunderstandings. This study I mentioned above concerns and tries to closely examine the phenomenon of collective nouns, and to be more specific, we will try to examine the concord with collective nouns in both British and American English of the 1990’s, always with the hidden desire to finally come with a reasonable conclusion towards the end of the paper.
In order to succeed in this procedure we will first try to give some short definitions of the most basic notions, which are used in the following pages. Then, we will proceed in describing the corpora, as well as the methodology used. Moreover, we will point out the problems that automatically arise from the fact of defining the collective nouns themselves on the one hand and of this corpus- based study as a whole on the other hand. After making these essential things clear, we will become more familiar with the theories regarding this subject; theories and theses that already exist, they have already been uttered and can be found in various books of grammar of the English language. Later on we will reveal and present the overall frequencies that derived from studying the corpora representing British and American English always in terms of concord with collective nouns.
Summary of Chapters
1. Introduction: Outlines the scope of the study, specifically the examination of collective noun concord in British and American English using empirical data.
2. Corpora used: Defines the concept of a linguistic corpus and introduces the FLOB and FROWN corpora as the primary data sources for the analysis.
3. The problem of indefinable nouns in both corpora.: Discusses the challenges of classifying collective nouns and criteria for excluding tokens that do not allow for clear concord determination.
4. Overall frequencies: Presents the quantitative data and statistical breakdown of concord patterns for the selected collective nouns across both corpora.
5. Findings: Interprets the statistical results and compares the observed usage patterns with established grammatical theories regarding British and American English.
6. Conclusion: Summarizes the study's results and suggests potential avenues for future linguistic research on the semantics and usage of collective nouns.
7. Bibliography: Lists the academic resources and grammar references utilized throughout the research.
Keywords
Corpus Linguistics, Collective Nouns, Concord, British English, American English, FLOB Corpus, FROWN Corpus, Grammar, Singular Concord, Plural Concord, Language Variation, Linguistic Analysis, Data, Family, Team, Government.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the core subject of this research paper?
The paper focuses on the phenomenon of concord—the agreement between a subject and its verb—specifically in relation to collective nouns in British and American English.
What are the primary thematic fields explored?
The work explores grammatical agreement, the contrast between regional English varieties (British vs. American), and the methodology of using computer-readable corpora to derive linguistic insights.
What is the main objective of this study?
The goal is to determine the frequency with which specific collective nouns (data, family, team, government) are paired with singular versus plural verbs and whether these patterns align with existing grammatical prescriptions.
Which scientific methods are employed?
The author uses a synchronic, corpus-based method, analyzing quantitative data from the FLOB (British) and FROWN (American) corpora to compare usage frequencies.
What topics are covered in the main body?
The main body covers the definition of corpora, the criteria for selecting collective nouns, the challenges of indefinable tokens, and a detailed statistical comparison of concord patterns.
Which keywords characterize this work?
Key terms include Corpus Linguistics, Concord, Collective Nouns, FLOB, FROWN, British English, and American English.
How does the usage of the word "data" compare to the other collective nouns studied?
The study reveals that "data" shows a strong preference for plural concord, which is a notable reversal compared to the high singular preference observed for nouns like "family" or "government."
Does the study confirm the theories found in traditional grammar books?
Only partially; while the preference for singular concord in American English is largely confirmed, the findings regarding British English demonstrate a strong tendency toward singular usage that contradicts some traditional claims suggesting a more equal distribution or higher plural preference in British English.
- Quote paper
- Eleni Papadopoulou (Author), 2004, Concord with collective nouns in British and American English, Munich, GRIN Verlag, https://www.grin.com/document/36473
