Paratactic constructions sometimes compete with coordination, sometimes with subordination, for the same semantic niche in language. The case of complex sentences in English containing the degree adverbs "so" or "such" is analyzed. (Contains 37 references.) (LB)

In a study of binding relations of reflexive anaphors, it is suggested that a nonsyntactic aspect of language plays a role; i.e., viewpoint in sentence processing. This notion may help specify the type of evidence that can trigger learners' progress in the acquisition of the English reflexive. (Contains 33 references.) (Author/LB)

Study of verb-copying in Mandarin Chinese, focusing on its relationship to the thematic structures of verbs and on phrase structures, shows that the function of verb-copying is to highlight the quantity element in a sentence. (21 references) (Author/CB)

Evaluation of the adequacy of 11 metrics for measuring linguistic complexity of language samples obtained from 60 to 90 year olds indicated that, although most of the metrics adequately accounted for age-group and individual differences in complexity, the amount and type of embedding proved to predict how easily sentences are understood and how…

Argues that the Guided Induction presentation is superior to a deductive one for the teaching of certain grammatical structures to beginning foreign language students. A study is presented that compared both approaches when applied to the learning of French grammatical structures by beginning level U.S. college students. (25 references) (GLR)

Discussion of graph-drawing algorithms compares and evaluates five algorithms for generated automatic graphic display of sentence dependency structures that have been implemented in the TEXTNET text structure management system. Evaluation criteria are discussed, and a test of the algorithms with a database of newspaper articles is described. (16…

Three experiments are reported on the interpretation of conceptual anaphors, defined as those that do not have an explicit linguistic antecedent but one constructed from text. Two experiments showed that conceptual anaphors are quite easily understood but are processed with difficulty; the third one showed mixed results. (three references)…

The mechanisms involved in the assignment of an antecedent to an anaphoric element are examined. Taken together, four experiments suggest that conceptual, although grammatically illegal, anaphors do not cause comprehensive difficulties. (Author/LB)

Discusses the Rhode Island School for the Deaf's use of Matthew Lipman's Philosophy for Children Program, focusing on how the relationship of philosophy and logic to language structure affect such instruction with deaf students and providing some suggestions for effective instruction. (32 references) (CB)

Examines the effect of the misuse and over-use of logical connectives in English-as-a-Second-Language undergraduate writing, and suggests that students use a small subset of relatively comprehensible connectives, employ connectives for phrasal expansion, and view logical progression as an integral stage in writing. (Author/CB)

Investigates whether concreteness was related to a key characteristic of written composition--the cumulative sentence with a final modifier--which has been consistently associated with higher quality writing. Supports the conceptual-peg hypothesis of dual coding theory, with concrete verbs providing the pegs on which cumulative sentences are…

Results from an English acceptability-rating experiment are presented that demonstrate that people find doubly nested relative-clause structures just as acceptable when only two verb phrases are included instead of the grammatically required three. Three possible accounts of the results are considered. (Author/VWL)

Examined the extent to which cross-linguistic differences in sentence interpretation would generalize to complex sentences with an embedded clause. College students who were native speakers of English or Italian completed four experiments. Results indicated that cross-linguistic differences were maintained when students interpreted complex…

Investigated the acquisition of verb placement by bilingual young children learning both German and English. Researchers recorded their speech monthly for three years and analyzed word order in the verb phrase. The children were actively involved in the process of determining structure in each language. Development of language output did not…

Presents the case for a mapping theory of developmental language impairment, which branches into a theory that specific language impairment arises from impaired phonological processing and the consequent disruption of the mapping process through which the words and sentence structure of language are established. (Author/VWL)