As a learner of languages in general and of English in particular, sooner or later one comes across transitive and intransitive verbs. For most of the learners this only means that there are these verbs, which take a direct object (transitive) and those, which do not (intransitive). (1) Susan left. (2) He is writing something.
When comparing example (1) and (2), the average student of EFL 1 would claim the second one to be transitive, while the first one would be described as intransitive. For learners at school this explanation might be sufficient, but as a linguist the notion of Transitivity goes far beyond the simple declaration of verbs to be object-taking or not.
In this paper special interest will focus on the notion of Transitivity. The observations are based on a study made by Paul J. Hopper and Sandra A. Thompson 2 published in 1980, which focuses on the importance of Transitivity in grammar and discourse 3 .
The first part of the paper presented here will explain the notion of Transitivity according to the results of the study by Hopper/Thompson. The second part will draw attention to the universality of Transitivity.
The question arises in how far Transitivity is essential to language. Why does the speaker of a language use Transitivity within a speech and how does he do so? Therefore, the main focus of the third part will lie on the pragmatic function of Transitivity, which means the importance of it as a discourse determiner. Especially the role of Transitivity in Foregrounding in discourse will be looked at.
The writer of this paper tries to find own examples, if possible, but when it comes to universality and the corpus investigation, only examples of the original study can guarantee the verification of the theory. [...]
Table of Contents
I. Introduction
II. Main Part
1. The study
1.1. Measuring Transitivity
1.1.1. Participants
1.1.2. Kinesis
1.1.3. Aspect
1.1.4. Punctuality
1.1.5. Volitionality
1.1.6. Affirmation
1.1.7. Mode
1.1.8. Agency
1.1.9. Affectedness of O
1.1.10. Individuation of O
1.2. Overview
1.3. T in practice
1.4. The Transitivity Hypothesis
2. Universality
2.1. The function of the object
2.1.1. O-marking by prepositions and affixes
2.1.2. V-O-correlation
2.1.3. Word order
2.2. Case as T-marker in the subject
2.3. T-markers in the verb
3. Function of T in discourse
3.1. T and text summarizing
3.2. Experiment
III. Conclusion
Objectives and Topics
This paper examines the linguistic notion of Transitivity based on the 1980 study by Hopper and Thompson, exploring its role beyond simple object-taking verbs and investigating its communicative function in discourse as a determiner for foregrounding information.
- Detailed analysis of Transitivity parameters (Participants, Kinesis, Aspect, etc.)
- Exploration of Transitivity as a universal grammatical feature
- Investigation into the pragmatic and discourse-functional role of Transitivity
- Practical application of Transitivity theory for text summarization and information extraction
Excerpt from the book
1.1. Measuring Transitivity
In order to rank the effectiveness of a clause Hopper/Thompson chose the following parameters, which either refer to the verb (V), to the direct object or patient (O/P) or to the subject or agent (A) of the clause.
1.1.1. Participants (A)
A clause must have at least two participants for an action to be transferred.
(1) John is kissing Sarah.
(2) Mary is reading.
According to the theory, (1) is more effective and therefore more transitive than (2).
1.1.2. Kinesis (B)
Kinesis refers to the action of the verb. Transferable actions are in contrast with non-transferable states.
(1) John likes his big sister.
(2) John tickled his baby brother.
In (2) some kind of movement or action is visible. So, (2) is more effective than (1) because the verbum sentiendi like describes a state and not an action.
Summary of Chapters
1. The study: Defines the concept of Transitivity through ten specific factors that grade the effectiveness of a clause and outlines the core Transitivity Hypothesis.
2. Universality: Examines how different languages use grammatical markers, word order, and case systems to signal Transitivity, reinforcing the theory across various linguistic structures.
3. Function of T in discourse: Analyzes how Transitivity serves as a communicative tool to distinguish between foregrounded core information and backgrounded contextual details in a text.
Keywords
Transitivity, Hopper and Thompson, Transitivity Hypothesis, functional syntax, discourse, foregrounding, backgrounding, grammar, linguistic study, clause effectiveness, participant, kinesis, aspect, punctuality, volitionality.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the fundamental focus of this paper?
The paper focuses on the linguistic notion of Transitivity, moving beyond the traditional definition of verbs as simply transitive or intransitive, to explore it as a complex, graduated property of clauses.
What are the central thematic fields discussed?
Key fields include the ten parameters of Transitivity, the universality of these grammatical markers across world languages, and the pragmatic function of Transitivity in organizing discourse.
What is the primary research goal?
The goal is to explain the Transitivity Hypothesis and demonstrate how Transitivity serves as a discourse determiner that helps identify important information in a text.
Which scientific method is utilized?
The paper utilizes a qualitative analysis based on the framework provided by Hopper and Thompson, comparing minimal pairs and applying these parameters to extract core information from narrative texts.
What is covered in the main part of the paper?
The main part covers the detailed measurement of Transitivity through ten specific factors, proof of its universality across different languages, and its practical application in text analysis.
Which keywords best characterize this work?
The work is best characterized by terms like Transitivity Hypothesis, foregrounding, functional syntax, discourse analysis, and linguistic effectiveness.
How does the author define Transitivity in the context of the study?
Transitivity is defined as the "effective carrying-over of an activity from an agent to a patient," measurable on a scale based on clause properties rather than just the presence of a direct object.
What does the experiment in section 3.2 illustrate?
The experiment demonstrates that the Transitivity parameters can be used as a practical tool to filter and extract the core "foregrounded" information from a literary text, such as an extract from "The Catcher in the Rye."
- Quote paper
- Conny Schibisch (Author), 2006, The Transitivity Hypothesis - Investigation on the importance of transitivity in grammar and discourse, Munich, GRIN Verlag, https://www.grin.com/document/66869
