Tài liệu Common errors in the use of the passive voice made by the first year english major students at hanoi pedagogical university no.2

HANOI PEDAGOGICAL UNIVERSITY N0. 2 FOREIGN LANGUAGE FACULTY NGUYEN THI HIEN COMMON ERRORS IN THE USE OF THE PASSIVE VOICE MADE BY THE FIRST-YEAR ENGLISH MAJOR STUDENTS AT HANOI PEDAGOGICAL UNIVERSITY N0 2 (SUBMITTED IN PARTIAL FULFILLMENT OF THE REQUIREMENTS OF THE DEGREE OF BACHELOR OF ARTS IN ENGLISH) Hanoi, 2013 Hanoi, 2013 i ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS I would like to take this chance to express my greatest gratitude to Mr. Nguyen Van Den, M.A., my supervisor, for his patience in providing continuous and careful guidance as well as encouragement, indispensable suggestions and advice. Also, I would like to express my particular thanks to all my beloved lecturers, who always motivated and encouraged me to finish my thesis early. Especially, I would like to show my sincere thanks to the junior students in class K38 in the Foreign Language Faculty, who helped me with my questionnaire. I am particularly grateful to all my friends for their precious assistance throughout the process of writing this thesis. Last but not least, I owe a debt of gratitude to my beloved family, for their whole – hearted encouragement and endless support. ii ABSTRACT Passive voice is a unique and interesting category of English grammar. The number of passive sentences is very large, and each kind has its own characteristics as well as uses. Therefore, they sometimes cause confusion to learners of English. As a result, students of English often make errors when they use passive voice. Therefore, this research work entails studying the uses of passive voice and conducting a survey for error analysis. Based on the results of the survey, the types of errors and causes have been found. Solutions to the problems have been suggested. iii STATEMENT OF AUTHORSHIP Title: Common Errors in the Use of Passive Voice made by the first-year English major students at Hanoi Pedagogical University No 2 I certify that no part of this thesis has been copied from any other person’s work without acknowledgements and that the thesis is originally written by me under the instructions from my supervisor. Date submitted: May, 2013 Student Nguyen Thi Hien Supervisor Mr Den, M.A iv TABLE OF CONTENTS Acknowledgements i Abstract…………………. ............................................................................................................ .ii Statement of authorship… iii Table of contents……….. .................................................................................................... iv PART ONE INTRODUCTION I. Rationale .................................................................................................................................... 1 II. Research presupposition III. Research objectives IV. Research scope 2 .......................................................................................................... 2 2 V. Research tasks .......................................................................................................................... 2 VI. Research methods ............................................................................................................ 3 VII. Research significance 3 VIII. Design of the research work ................................................................................................ 3 PART TWO DEVELOPMENT CHAPTER ONE: THEORETICAL BACKGROUND I.1. Literature review in brief 5 I.2. Concept of voice in English ................................................................................................... 6 I.2.1. Definition of voice… ….. ............................................................................................... 6 I.2.2. Classification 7 I.2.3. Structural differences between active voice and passive voice ............................................ 8 I.3. Passive voice in English 8 I.3.1. Passive voice from the theoretical view ............................................................................... 8 I.3.1.1. Definition 8 I.3.1.2. Passive voice of transitive ordinary verbs ............................................................................ 8 I.3.1.3. The passive transformation................................................................................................ 11 I.3.1.3.1. S- V- O structure ................................................................................................... 11 v I.3.1.3.2. S- V- O- O structure 13 I.3.1.3.3. S- V- C structure I.3.1.4. Passive types ................................................................................................... 14 15 I.3.1.5. The phrase with by and with ........................................................................................ 16 I.3.2. Passive voice from the practical view ................................................................................ 17 I.3.2.1. Introduction ............................................................................................................... 17 I.3.2.2. Form…………….. ................................................................................................... 18 I.3.2.2.1 Tenses and aspects in the passive ................................................................................... 18 I.3.2.2.2. Modal verbs in the passive ............................................................................................. 19 I.3.2.2.3. The passive with get 20 I.3.2.3. Special patterns ........................................................................................................ 21 I.3.2.3.1. The passive with verbs of giving .................................................................................... 21 I.3.2.3.2. The passive with verbs of reporting ................................................................................ 22 I.3.2.3.3. Passives + to-infinitives or active participles .................................................................. 24 I.3.2.3.4. Passives with have and get ............................................................................................. 24 I.3.2.3.5. Passives + to-infinitives and gerunds .............................................................................. 25 I.3.2.3.6. Active forms with passive meanings............................................................................... 26 I.3.2.3.7. Active and passive verb form ......................................................................................... 27 I.3.2.3.8. Active sentences conveying passive meanings ................................................................ 28 I.3.2.3.9. Causative form ...................................................................................................... 29 CHAPTER TWO: COMMON ERRORS IN THE USE OF THE PASSIVE VOICE II.1. Survey ............................................................................................................................... 31 II.1.1. Purpose of the survey 32 II.1.2. Population of the survey 32 II.1.3. Type of the survey 32 II.1.4. Construction of the test 32 II.1.5. Preparation of the survey 33 II.1.5.1. Test items ................................................................................................................... 33 II.1.5.2. Arrangement of the test items .......................................................................................... 33 II.1.6. Administration of the try-out .............................................................................................. 34 II.1.6.1. Preparation of the try-out ................................................................................................. 34 II.1.6.2. Try-out ........................................................................................................................ 34 II.1.7. Method of data analysis 35 vi II.1.8. Results of the survey ................................................................................................... 35 II.2. Common errors and causes ................................................................................................ 37 II.2.1. Errors in the use of passive voice in imperative sentences ................................................... 37 II.2.2. Errors in the use of passive voice of the causative form ...................................................... 38 II.2.3. Errors in the use of passive voice with get .......................................................................... 38 II.2.4. Errors in the use of passive voice with verbs of opinion ...................................................... 38 II.2.5. Errors in the use of passive voice with verbs of perception ................................................. 39 II.2.6. Errors in the change of the object of the active into the subject of the passive ………………………………………………………………………………................................. …….39 II.2.7.Errors in the change of verb forms from the active to the passiv………………………… .... 39 II.2.8. Errors in the use of passive voice with indefinite pronouns as subjects ................................ 40 II.2.9. Errors in the use of the passive with prepositions ................................................................ 40 II.2.10. Errors in the use of passive voice in yes-no questions ....................................................... 41 II.2.11. Errors in the use of passive voice in (w)h-questions .......................................................... 41 II.2.12. Errors in the use of the passive with 2 objects ................................................................... 41 II.3. SUGGESTED SOLUTIONS AND EXERCISES ........................................................... 42 II.3.1. Suggested solutions ............................................................................................................ 42 II.3.2. Suggested exercises ............................................................................................................ 43 CONCLUSION PART THREE CONCLUSION ........................................................................................................................ 45 REFERENCES 47 APPENDICES 49 vii PART ONE INTRODUCTION I. RATIONALE English is the international language which is spoken and understood almost everywhere in the world and has become the key instrument of globalization. By 2012 there could be around 2 billion people learning English, according to a new report commissioned by the British Council. In Vietnam, English also plays an important role in all walks of life and in all economic sectors. Therefore, more and more Vietnamese people are learning English as a foreign language. Learners of English, however, have to encounter a great variety of difficulties in obtaining both grammatical rules and language skills due to the interference of the learners’ mother tongue. It is proved that English grammar is complex and often causes embarrassment to students especially in communication. Passive voice is one of the grammatical items that play an important role in learning and communicating as well. Passive voice is used widely. The uses of passive voice are preferred in English than those in Vietnamese, especially in daily conversations. However, using these passive correctly and effectively is rather complex. Passives consist of plentiful meanings, forms and characteristics as well. Of course, in learning English in general and passive voice in particular, being influenced by the mother tongue is unavoidable. Due to its various uses, it is assumed that there are many errors which may be made. This thesis is accomplished in hopes of making a contribution to the process of studying of passive voice. For the reasons above, this study is conducted with the aim of focusing on errors in using passive voice viii II. RESEARCH PRESUPPOSITION Some questions are raised: 1. What kinds of errors in using passive voice are made by the major students at the Foreign Language Faculty? 2. What kinds of errors in passive voice are made by the first– year English major at Hanoi Pedagogical University N02? 3. What are the causes of the errors in using passive voice made by the major students at the Foreign Language Faculty? 4. What are the effective ways to minimize the errors made by the major students at the Foreign Language Faculty? III. RESEARCH OBJECTIVES The study is aimed at the following goals: 1. To find out the kinds of errors in the use of passive voice made by the major students at the Foreign Language Faculty. 2. To find out the causes of the errors in the use of passive voice made by the major students at the Foreign Language Faculty. 3. To offer some suggestions to minimize errors in using passive voice. IV. RESEARCH SCOPE The general research area of this study is grammar. The phenomenon is the errors in using passive voice made by the major students in the Foreign Language Faculty. Others relating to the passive voice are also briefly mentioned. The population involved in the study is one hundred students in class K38 at the Foreign Language Faculty. V. RESEARCH TASKS The study involves fulfilling the following tasks: 1. To study the definition, formation, classification and meanings of passive voice in English 2. To study the grammatical features of passive voice in English 3. To conduct a survey to find out error types and causes related to passive voice in English. On the basis of the findings, some suggested teaching methods are sought to minimize the students’ errors ix VI. RESEARCH METHODS To achieve the objectives of the study, the following methods have been applied: 1. Collecting data from books 2. Consulting the supervisor, experienced teachers and friends 3. Synthesizing theoretical materials on English grammar 4. Conducting a survey and analyzing the results VII. RESEARCH SIGNIFICANCE Errors in any language teaching and learning, particularly in English as a foreign language, are sometimes predictable and sometimes unpredictable. Therefore, it is essential for teachers to give better treatment to anticipate errors. After the research, it is hoped that the result will be helpful to provide: 1. Input for learners of English in order to have better understanding about passive voice in English 2. Input for learners in order to minimize their errors in using passive voice. 3. Input for teachers of English with information on error types and solutions to the problems in order to help their students have a deep insight into passive voice. This study is also beneficial to anyone who is interested in the passive voice in English. VIII. RESEARCH DESIGN The research work has three main parts: Introduction, Development, and Conclusion. The part Development consists of two chapters. Chapter one, Theoretical Background, consists of three sections. Section one presents literature review in brief. The section two shows the concept of voice in English in definition, classification and structural differences between active voice and passive voice. Section three deals with passive voice in English from two viewpoints: theoretical and practical. Moreover, the differences in the passive voice are mentioned as well. Chapter two is Common Errors in the Use of Passive Voice. It describes the research method. It is composed of three sections. Section one is devoted to the survey. The second deals with error types and causes. The last one is on solutions to the problems and suggested exercises on passive voice. x xi PART TWO DEVELOPMENT CHAPTER ONE: THEORETICAL BACKGROUND I.1. Literature review in brief Passive voice has been described by many grammarians like Vince (1994), Swan (2005), Eastwood (1992), and Azar (1996) and so on. They each have their own ways to describe passive voice. Generally, they focus their attention on the definition, formation, functions of the passive voice and its uses. In the book Oxford Guide to English Grammar, Eastwood (1992) deals with passive verb forms. He also introduces some special passive structures and gives the differences between active and passive voice. In his series of studies about passive voice in medical English, he describes the uses, characteristics and productivity of passives that are sometimes considered to be passive voice. He also makes comparisons among passive voice in his surveys. Quirk (1973) deals with passive voice verb forms. He focuses his attention on the uses of passives. He describes the uses, characteristics and productivity. Especially, he introduces clearly passive tenses from the theoretical view and introduces beginning university students to the study of English linguistics, with a strong focus on linguistic analysis and argumentation; especially, Ingo Plag shows major methods of tense – formation such as forms, uses, characteristics of passives, and clauses and features of passive voice. Azar (1996) in Understanding and Using English Grammar refers to the formation of the passive and also the use of passives. He pays much attention to passive voice in indirect objects used as passive subjects, the passive form of modals and phrasal modals and stative forms. In the book Macmillan English Grammar in Context, Vince (1994) only focuses his attention on the uses of passives. Moreover, he pays much attention to passives with causative “have”, verbs with two objects and passive reporting verbs. In the book Passive Resistance, CLS no 7, Lakoff, R (1971) traces the development of the English language in grammar and passive voice. The author explains the definition, origin of passive voice as well as gives precise illustrations for them. Thomson, A.J. and Martinet, A.V. (1986) in Practical English Usage only gives the forms of passive verb forms. He also mentions the differences between active and passive voice. xii Sinclair (2009) in Easy Learning Grammar and Punctuation only pays much attention to the function of passive voice and the subject of a passive sentence. Also, he gives some special passive structures. In short, much research has been done on the passive voice about definition, formation, classification and meanings of passive voice in English. However, the research about common errors in the use of passive voice made by the first - year English majors at Hanoi Pedagogical is a new aspect. In order to help us find better learning solutions for English major students at Foreign Language Faculty, it is essential to have a comprehensive study of Common Errors in the Use of Passive Voice made by the first-year English major students at Hanoi Pedagogical University Number 2. I.2. Concept of voice in English I.2.1. Definition of voice Nowadays, there is little consensus of what voice is. Therefore, a large number of definitions of voice have been offered in many grammar books and dictionaries. However, it is always a controversial issue to choose the best definition. There are some typical definitions that are usually used in learning English to help learners understand and grasp clearly about voice. In A Grammar of Present-day English (1986: 85), Gordon, E. M. notes, “Voice is the form of the verb, which serves to show whether the subject of the sentence is the agent or the object of the action expressed by the predicate verb”. In Oxford Advanced Learner’s Dictionary (1995: 1932), voice is also defined as “a form or set of forms of a verb in which either person or thing that does something is the subject of the verb (the active voice) or the person or thing that is affected by the action of the verb is the object (the passive voice). According to Quirk, R and Greenbaum, S and Leech, G and Svartvik (A Grammar of Contemporary English – 1972: 801), voice is a grammatical category through which we can see it in two ways but the meaning in fact does not change.” To sum up, voice is a grammatical category that indicates the relation of the subject to the action of the verb. This will be illustrated by the following example. Nam painted the house yesterday. → The house was painted by Nam yesterday. xiii In the former sentence, the subject “Nam” performs the action indicated by the verb “painted”. In the latter sentence, on the other hand, “the house” does not do the action. “The house” is affected by the action of painting. I.2.2. Classification In English, voice is classified into two main subdivisions including active voice and passive voice.  Active voice Active voice is used in a clause in which the subject expresses the agent of the main verb. Thus, the subject does the action designated by the verb. A sentence in which the agent is marked as the grammatical subject is called an active sentence. Somebody cleaned the window. The subject “somebody” is the agent of the action performed by the verb “cleaned”. This sentence is called an active sentence.  Passive voice A sentence is called passive when it serves to show that the person or thing denoted by the subject of the sentence is not the agent (doer) of the action expressed by the predicate verb but is the object of this action. The subject of a passive verb does not act but is acted upon; it receives the action of the verb. The window was cleaned by somebody. (1) The subject “the window” itself cannot express the action of cleaning. It receives the action of the verb “clean”. Sentence (1) is a passive sentence. I.2.3. Structural differences between active voice and passive voice It is certain that active voice and passive voice are used to express the same fact reported. They, however, are different from each other in terms of structure and semantic and lexical field. Now we are coming to analyze an example The police arrested the criminal. (1) The criminal was arrested by the police. (2) Firstly, in this example, sentence (1) is different from sentence (2) in verb form. In sentence (1), the main verb is in the active form “arrested”. In sentence (2), on the other hand, the verb of the active sentence is superseded by the verb phrase which is the combination of the verb “to be” in the same tense with the active verb and the past participle of the active verb. Secondly, sentence (1) and sentence (2) are different from each other in the position of the components. In sentence (1) – an active sentence, the agent plays the role of the subject “the police” whereas in sentence (2) – a passive sentence, the object of the active sentence “the xiv criminal” takes the subject position. In addition, the subject turns into a prepositional phrase “by/with + agent”. I.3. Passive voice in English I.3.1. Passive voice from the theoretical view I.3.1.1. Definition A sentence is called passive when it serves to show that the person or thing denoted by the subject of the sentence is not the agent (doer) of the action expressed by the predicate verb but is the object of this action. The subject of a passive verb does not act but is acted upon, it receives the action of the verb. The window was cleaned by somebody. (1) The subject “the window” itself cannot express the action of cleaning. It receives the action of the verb “clean”. Sentence (1) is a passive sentence. I.3.1.2. Passive voice of transitive ordinary verbs The most common passive form includes an appropriate tense of “be” followed by the past participle of the main verb of the active sentence. In Oxford Guide to English Grammar (1994:135), John Eastwood suggests “A passive verb has a form of be and a participle. Be is in the same tense as the equivalent of the active form. The passive participle has the same form as a past participle.” To be + past participle. However, according to Quirk R., et al. (1972: 83-92), there are two tenses in English: present tense and past tense. English has two marked aspects: the progressive aspect and the perfective aspect. Aspect refers to the manner in which the verb action is regarded or experienced. Tenses and aspects in the passive together with examples can be described as follows: He has been taken to the zoo. (Present tense and perfective aspect) The room is being cleaned at the moment. (Present tense and progressive aspect) The house was being cleaned. (Past tense and progressive aspect) The negative and interrogative forms of passive sentences are made up in the same way as in active sentences. Negative: The disease has not been found for many years. The machine was not fixed by the mechanical engineer. xv In the sentences above, “not” comes after the auxiliaries “has” and “was”. Question: Has the house been painted? When were the mails sent? There is also inversion of the subject and the first auxiliary. It is noted that “by” is contained in the question about the agent. Who was this novel written by? Therefore, passive voice of transitive ordinary verbs occurs in almost all tenses in English. Passive forms of English ordinary verbs together with examples are shown in the following table: Table 1 12 kinds of passive voice corresponding with 12 tenses Tense Present simple Structure Is/am/are + p.p Examples The house is cleaned every day. Present progressive Is/am/are + being + p.p The room is being cleaned at the moment. Present perfect Have/has been + p.p Has the disease been found? Present perfect progressive Have/has + been + being + p.p He has been being taken to the zoo. Past simple Was/were + p.p I was accused of stealing the money. Past progressive Was/were + being + p.p Our conversation was being recorded. Past perfect Had + been + p.p The room hadn’t been cleaned. Past perfect progressive Had + been + being + p.p The wall had been being painted since then. Future simple Will + be + p.p You will be asked a lot of questions at the interview. Future progressive Will + be+ being + p.p He will be being taken to the zoo. xvi Future perfect Will + have + been + p.p The problem will have been solved by Friday. Future perfect progressive Will + have + been + being + The supermarket will have p.p been being built for exactly ten years. I.3.1.3. The passive transformation Passive transformation involves the change in the position of the subject and object, and verb forms. Subject Dung The room Active verb Object has cleaned the room has been cleaned Subject Passive verb by Dung Agent The idea is taken from such traditional linguists as Thomson and Martinet, Murphy, and Quirk and Green Baum. Of all the sentence patterns, only three types which contain transitive verbs, allow passive transformation including S-V-O, S-V-O-O, and S-V-O-C. I.3.1.3.1. S- V- O structure The object of this pattern can be classified into a noun phrase, a finite clause and nonfinite clause. The object is a noun phrase. It is certain that the object of an active sentence becomes the subject of the passive equivalent The bear caught the fish. → The fish was caught by the bear. The object is a finite clause (that-clause) The corresponding passive is commonly formed by the use of introductory “it”. The finite clause as an object still remains. He saw that the car was useless. → It was seen that the car was useless. The agent can be placed after the main clause if necessary. The journal says that the oil price will increase sharply. xvii → It is said by the journal that the oil price will increase sharply. In addition, passive transformation is done by having the subject of the object clause made the subject of the passive sentence and the verb of the object clause becomes an infinitive verb. The happening time of actions in the finite clause and the main clause should be paid attention to. We use the perfect infinitive when the action in the subordinate clause takes place before that superordinate clause. They thought that the prisoner had escaped by climbing over the wall. → The prisoner was thought to have escaped by climbing over the wall. We use the simple infinite when the action in the superordinate clause takes place before. They expect that the government will lose the election. → The government is expected to lose the election. Last but not least, the finite clause can become the subject of the passive sentence. Such verbs include admit, announce, declare, explain, point out, remark, report, state, and suggest. They showed me that she was a sensitive woman. → That she was a sensitive woman was shown to me. The object is a non-finite clause A non-finite clause as an object may be an infinitive or an ing-participle. Generally, there is no passive equivalent for an active sentence whose object is a non-finite clause. He wants to play games. Not → To play games is wanted by him. However, passive transformation is accepted with a few verbs (agree, arrange, decide) and introductory “it”. We decide to move to the suburbs. → It is decided to move to the suburbs. Moreover, some verbs such as advise, insist, propose, recommend, suggest followed by an in-participle with an object, a finite clause “that….should” is used in the passive. They suggested helping people being homeless after the floods. → They suggested that people being homeless after the floods should be helped. I.3.1.3.2. S- V- O- O structure It is a fact that some verbs in English take two objects. The former is an indirect one and the latter is a direct one. The indirect object is always a noun phrase and the direct object can be a noun phrase, a finite or non-finite clause. The direct object is a noun phrase In the case both objects are noun phrases xviii Tom sent me a letter. → I was sent a letter (by Tom.) A letter was sent to me by Tom. The preposition “to” is to be contained in the passive sentence with the direct object of the active sentence as its subject. As for some verbs, the preposition “for” is needed. They’ve built it an exclusive balcony. An exclusive balcony has been built for it. The direct object is a finite clause An active sentence can be changed into a passive one with either of the objects as the passive subject. They told me that they would move to London. It was told to me that they would move to London. The direct object is a non-finite clause A non-finite clause here is a to-infinitive or a bare-infinitive verb. His boss asked him to accomplish the task. He was asked to accomplish the task. The direct object is a prepositional phrase A preposition phrase, in general, cannot become the passive subject. I explained everything to her. Everything was explained to her. Not She was explained everything. In addition, when the direct object is a phrase beginning with who, when, which, and where, the phrase can be put after the past participle of the active verb as follows: He told me how to get there. → I was told how to get there. I.3.1.3.3. S- V-O- C structure The object complement can be a noun phrase, an adjective, or a non-finite clause consisting of a to-infinitive, a bare-infinitive clause, an ing-participle and an ed- participle clause. The object complement is a noun phrase They consider it a blessing. → It is considered a blessing. People call me Anne → I am called Anne The object complement is an adjective xix The object of the active sentence changes into the subject of the passive one and the adjective is placed after the main verb. We believed her innocent. → She was believed innocent (by us). The object complement is a to-infinitive clause I assume you to know some English words. → You are assumed to know some English words. Such verbs includes believe, consider, assume, intend, etc. However, when active sentences consisting of some verbs such as wish, want, like, love, the passive is formed with a to-infinitive passive and the object in the to-infinitive clause is put after the main verb. I want her to clean the house → I want the house to be cleaned by her. The object complement is a bare infinitive clause The passive is made by making the active object the passive subject and the bareinfinitive clause is put by a to-infinitive one. The verbs of perception are see, hear, observe, etc. I saw the thief climb into the house. The thief was seen to climb into the house. Of all the causative verbs (let, make, have), only the verb make allows passive transformation in the same way as verbs of perception. My parents made me look after my younger brother. I was made to look after my younger brother. The object is an ing-participle and ed-participle When the object is an ing- participle, the subject of the passive sentence is the object of active voice whereas passive transformation is carried out as usual except for have and get when the object is an ed- participle as follows: I heard her singing. → She was heard singing I.3.1.4. Passive types The passive clause in transitive analysis is sub-grouped in following main types: true passive, beneficiary-passive, range-passive and circumstantial passive. The idea is taken from Halliday, M.A.K (1985). Table 2 True passive: effective, medium/subject, agent: by The vase was broken by the ball xx