1、Lecture 2LinguisticsComingpWhat is linguisticspHow to do linguistic researchpTypes of linguistic researchpLinguistics is the scientific study of language It answers questions related to language, such as: What is language? How does language work? It studies not any particular language, but language

2、as a whole.1. What is linguistics?2. How to do linguistic researchpObservationpHypothesispTest hypothesispDiscussion2.1 Observation這座房子容易爆破。這座房子容易爆破。 The house is easy to blow up.這座房子容易著火。這座房子容易著火。 *The house is easy to catch fire.2.1 Observation這座房子這座房子容易容易爆破爆破。 The house is easy to blow up.這座房子這座房

3、子容易容易著火著火。 *The house is easy to catch fire.Chinese: Subject + 容易容易 + Vt. Subject + 容易容易 + Vt. + Object.English: Subject + be easy to + Vt. *Subject + be easy to + Vt. + Object.2.2 HypothesisHypothesis: 1. Intransitive verbs are not acceptable 2. 容易容易 easy這座房子這座房子容易容易爆破爆破。 The house is easy to blow

4、up.這座房子這座房子容易容易著火著火。 *The house is easy to catch fire.John is easy to please.* John is easy to please others.* John is easy to smile.* John is easy to walk.2.3 Test HypothesisTo please John is easy.* To please others John is easy.* To smile John is easy.* To walk John is easy.Intransitive verbs are

5、not acceptable following EASY in English.The subject of the clause is logic object of the transitive verb. It is easy to please John.* It is easy to please others John.* It is easy to smile John.* It is easy to walk John.2.3 Test Hypothesisl 約翰容易討好。l 約翰容易討好別人。l 約翰容易睡著。 l 紙容易爛。 討好約翰容易。討好約翰容易。 約翰討好別人容

6、易。約翰討好別人容易。 約翰睡著容易。約翰睡著容易。 紙爛容易。紙爛容易。Intransitive verbs are acceptable following 容易容易 in Chinese.The subject of the clause is logic object of the transitive verb.The subject of the clause is the subject of the intransitive verb.2.3 Test HypothesisIntransitive verbs are acceptable following 容易容易. The

7、 subject of the clause is logic object of the transitive verb. The subject of the clause is the subject of the intransitive verb.The subject of the clause is logic object of the transitive verb. EnglishChinese Where is the problem? Intransitive verbs are not acceptable following EASY.2.4 Discussionl

8、 John is easy to please.l To please John is easy. easy: adj.l 約翰約翰容易容易討好。討好。容易：？容易：？l 約翰約翰容易容易睡著。睡著。容易：？容易：？A linguists job is to explain why ?l *約翰討好。約翰討好。l 約翰睡著。約翰睡著。容易容易function differently in these two contexts.2.4 Discussionl 約翰約翰容易容易討好。討好。l 約翰約翰容易容易睡著。睡著。 約翰是容易討好的。約翰是容易討好的。 約翰是容易睡著的。約翰是容易睡著的。l

9、 約翰漂亮。約翰漂亮。約翰是漂亮的。約翰是漂亮的。l 讀書容易。讀書容易。讀書是容易的。讀書是容易的。 2.4 Discussionl 約翰容易討好。約翰容易討好。l 約翰容易討好別人。約翰容易討好別人。l 約翰容易睡著。約翰容易睡著。 l 紙容易爛。紙容易爛。 討好約翰容易。討好約翰容易。 約翰討好別人容易。約翰討好別人容易。 約翰睡著容易。約翰睡著容易。 紙爛容易。紙爛容易。約翰約翰 + 容易討好。容易討好。約翰約翰 + 容易討好別人。容易討好別人。約翰約翰 + 容易睡著。容易睡著。 紙紙 + 容易爛。容易爛。 討好約翰討好約翰 + 容易。容易。 約翰討好別人約翰討好別人 + 容易。容易。

10、 約翰睡著約翰睡著 + 容易。容易。 紙爛紙爛 + 容易。容易。容易：容易：adv.容易：容易：adj.約翰約翰 + 是容易討好的。是容易討好的。約翰約翰 + 是容易討好別人的。是容易討好別人的。約翰約翰 + 是容易睡著的。是容易睡著的。 紙紙 + 是容易爛的。是容易爛的。 討好約翰討好約翰 + 是容易的。是容易的。 約翰討好別人約翰討好別人 + 是容易的。是容易的。 約翰睡著約翰睡著 + 是容易的。是容易的。 紙爛紙爛 + 是容易的。是容易的。2.4 Discussionl 約翰約翰容易容易討好。討好。l 約翰約翰容易容易討好別人。討好別人。l 約翰約翰容易容易睡著。睡著。l 討好約翰討好約

11、翰容易容易。 容易：容易：1. adj. 2. adv.l John is easy to please. l To please John is easy.l It is easy to please John.easy：adj. 容易（容易（adv.） + vt. 容易（容易（adv.） + vt. + Object.容易（容易（adv.） + vi.vt. + Object + 容易（容易（adj.）easy（adj.） + vt.2.4 DiscussionConclusion: l Intransitive verbs are not acceptable following EAS

12、Y, but acceptable following 容易容易.l Easy is always adj.l 容易容易 can be either adj. or adv.2.5 Your turn to challengepObservationpHypothesispTest hypothesispDiscussionp Prescriptive vs. Descriptive p Synchronic vs. Diachronic3. Types of linguistic research3.1 Prescriptive vs. Descriptivep Prescriptive:

13、aims to lay down rules for “correct and standard” behavior (grammar) in using language, i.e. to tell people what they should say and what they should not say. Whats the correct usage of “an” & “a” in English? an before vowel sounds a before consonants p Descriptive: aims to describe and analyze

14、the language people actually use. Whatever occurs in the language people use should be described and analyzed in their investigation. Whats the actual usage of “an” & “a” in reality? Penny Stewart & Richard F. Fawcett (1994) collected a great deal of data. Some of them are shown below.3.1 Pr

15、escriptive vs. DescriptiveNames Example TimePoliticiansGeorge Busha increasingly Jan.24,1990 a internal Jan.24,1990 a undefended Feb.15,1991 Jimmy Carter a election process Jun.14,1976Charles Schultz a arrangement Dec.9,1986 a accurate Dec.9,1986Names Example TimeNews BroadcastersDavid Letterman a a

16、rticle Sept.2, 1980Dick Cavett a emergency Feb.17, 1986Eddie Murphy a Oscar Apr.11,1988Bryant Gumbel a NBC Apr.27,1990ProfessionalsNancy Warr a impression Jan.17, 1990John W. Nields a air Jan.15,1991Names Example TimeActorsEdith a in-depth report Oct.29, 1986Andrey Meadows a interesting Nov.15, 1986

17、Guests on TV Talk Shows Howard Hunt a exchange Oct.12,1986George Carver a open Aug.26,1986Penny Stewart & Richard F. Fawcett (1994) pointed out that “an” is disappearing in standard American English, and being replaced by “a”.Why? 從語義的角度來看，規定語法 “an” 與“a”的傳統區別也只具有純語法意義，并無語義價值區別。在信息上，詞尾 “n”屬于多余成分。

18、這就使得 “n”的脫落成為可能 。 What do you think?A. They feel guilty of neglecting their duty.B. They feel guilty about neglecting their duty.C. A lot of women feel guilty to leave their children alone.D. A lot of women feel guilty about leaving their children alone.1. Be guilty of 2. Feel guilty about Are they

19、so?In Brazil gold is guilty of crimes against the environment and against humanity. The prosecution must prove that the defendant is guilty of a specific offence. Tina never felt guilty about anything.Most said that they felt guilty about taking time off. BNCWhy should she feel guilty of deceiving her devoted husband.He began to feel guilty of time wasting while the little vessel was still beingShe added hurriedly, as if feeling guilty of being underhand while her parentsI fe