Describes and analyzes in detail the form and function of the English construction "as + participle", called the participle construction of characterization, or PCC. (EKN)

Examines the semantic and syntactic structure of some compound words in modern Greek within the framework of valency theory. It is observed that there is a structural parallel between certain compounds and clauses that contain a clitic object but no subject, as the latter is mapped onto the verb's inflectional ending. (Author/VWL)

A contextual analysis approach was used to explore the semantic, syntactic, and discourse properties of the conjunction "and." Results are discussed in terms of phrasal coordination, and it is shown that "and" occurs with a high frequency in the spoken/written comparison narrative texts examined, with a density of 26.4 to 66.3 tokens per 1,000…

Describes how traditional rules that explain the position of adverbs in English are not always adequate due to unconsidered criteria. More precise position rules need to be formulated, including a clearer approach to distinguishing when adverbials modify subjects or verbs. More accurate adverbial position rules are presented and discussed in…

Examines the semantics of Persian modal auxiliaries, considering them in the light of comparable verbs in English. A discussion of dimension of modality in English is provided for clarification. (Author/VWL)

Compares conversion, a morphological process by which a word formed without explicit derivational mark, to phenomenon of multifunctionality; discusses with reference to alternative label of zero-derivation and directonality. Drawing on English and Italian second-language acquisition data, study shows process is productive from initial stages of…

Examines Modern Greek verbs which seem to be negative-raisers, including consideration of data that offer syntactic justification for negative-raisers and an examination of the semantics and pragmatics of the negative-raisers. (CB)

Discusses the treatment of idioms in language learning, specifically questions that need to be addressed when decisions are made on the role of idioms in language-learning programs. Particular emphasis is on the extent to which idioms present a particular source of misunderstanding and confusion for learners. (Author/VWL)

Describes a study that attempts to systematize the criteria required for accurate translations of technical documents. The results of a Linguistic Appreciation Questionnaire-Test, administered to 19 professional translators, were used to categorize the most common translation variables: style, structure, rhythm, and meaning of text in the hope of…

Supports the claim that aspect in English and written Arabic is a function of a variety of sentential elements including verb form, verb class, and adverbials. The two languages are basically similar in regard to two universal aspectual distinctions: syntactic categories and semantic categories. (TR)

Focuses on the errors made in lexical verb choice in speech by a small group of advanced learners of English. Findings indicate that while these learners may have a broad outline of verb meaning, their knowledge is hazy concerning contextual and collocational restrictions. Advanced learners may require detailed classroom vocabulary work on simple…

Shows that intermediate learners of German whose first language is English experience more semantic difficulties when reading an English text and more syntactic difficulties when reading a German version of the same text. A stronger emphasis on syntactic features, such as word category, agreement relationships, tensing, and word placement in the…