An Analysis of Verbs and Adverbial Phrases: Uses and Problems in Contextual Grammar
Chapter One
PURPOSE OF STUDY
This study is to investigate the followings:
(1) To examine the extent to which verb and adverbial phrases are important to student who are learning English language as a second language
(2) To identify the variable factors that create handicap in the teaching and learning of adverbials in the secondary schools.
(3) To arouse interest in both students, teachers and even casual readers on the place of verb and adverbials in sentences
(4) The research questionnaire will be used to get- responses from both students and English Language teachers in some secondary schools. .
CHAPTER TWO
LITERATURE REVIEW
THE CONCEPT OF VERB
The centrality of verb in modern grammar usage can be seen in its diversity. According to Burton (1984:62), a verb is a word that denotes action or being. Its function in a sentence is to make a statement about the subject of that sentence.
There can be no sentence without a predicate, just as there can be no sentence without a subject that each of the two parts of the sentence requires the other to express a complete thought.
The essential word in the predicate: – In the predicate of every sentence, one word (or group of words) plays the essential part in telling us something about the subject of the sentence. Example:-
A predicate cannot function without a verb. Action words and being words – the verbs used above all functioned as action words found, emptied, reached, swim, rot, collapse
Tom hugh is a mechanic
The clowns were very funny
Her daughter seems intelligent
The farm appears profitable.
Each of these verb tells us something about the subject of the sentence, here then the verb is not an action word. It is a being word. Verb denotes action or being. Its function in a sentence is to tell us what the subject does or is.
Multiple word-verbs: denotes action or being. Its function in a sentence is to tell us what the subject does or is.
Multiple word verbs. All the verbs mentioned above consists of one word, but verbs often consists of more than one word like:
(a) The guests were told the news after dinner
(b) We must leave next week.
(c) The road has been dangerous for years.
(d) The new key starter will improve the car’s performance.
But sometime, words that are not part of the verb come between the words that make up the verb.
(a) The weather has often been cold in the month of May.
(b) The scientist could not repeat the experiment
(c) All the bargains have now vanished from the shop.
To find a verb: in a sentence, Christopherson Paul. (1980:54) Opines that we:
(a) Find the word (or group of words) that denotes action or being
(b) Check the group of words in the verb by finding its subject. Since the function of the verb is to tell us what the subject does or is, that a verb must have a subject, you can find the subject of the verb by ‘asking the questions who? Or what? Before the verb whichever word or group of words that answers the question in the subject. For instance:-
SENTENCES:- At the back of the room, near the door was hanging the famous portrait of Jenny’s grandfather.
FINDING THE VERB:- The word or group of words that denotes action or being in the sentence, the two words “was hanging” from the verb. Was hanging is the verb by identifying its subject. Ask the question what? Was hanging.
ANSWER:- The famous portrait of Jenny’s grandfather was hanging. The verb there is “was hanging” while the subject of the verb is the famous portrait of Jenny’s grandfather.
To buttress further on verb, Spencer J. (1974:88) identifies five forms of English language verb. These are: The first is the infinitive or the base form. Verb in their base form – walk, talk, jump, eat.
The second form is the “S” suffix. This is got by the addition of the suffix “S” to the base form of the verb. Using the above form, one will realize walks, talks, jumps, eats.
CHAPTER THREE
RESEARCH METHODOLOGY
INTRODUCTION
The researcher covered schools in Ijaiye Local Government. To ensure maximum objectivity in data collection, the researcher used two hundred students from five (5) secondary schools in the area.
The researcher used questionnaires, which were given and collected on the spot to ensure truthfulness. The findings will be applicable to secondary schools in Lagos State. The schools used are:
(1) Government Model Secondary School, Meiran, Lagos
(2) Ifako International Secondary School, Ifako, Lagos
(3) Great Solid Rock Nursery, Primary and Secondary School, Alagbado, Meiran Lagos
(4) Good Shepherd Secondary School, Alagbado, Meiran, Lagos
The data obtained will be analysed in terms of the number of respondents and their responses.
AREA OF STUDY
The area covered by this study is Ifako Local Government Area. This means that all the post-primary schools in the Local Government Area constitutes the area of study.
POPULATION
In this research, population comprises the twenty secondary schools in the said local government area, though only five schools will be used for the research and investigation.
CHAPTER FOUR
DATA PRESENTATION
The data collected with the aid of the questionnaire were used in compiling statistical tables.
These tables contain the raw scores and their percentages derived from the responses to each of the sub-items of the research questions. Below are statistical table.
RESEARCH QUESTION I: Do students find it difficult to use verb and adverb in sentence?
CHAPTER FIVE
SUMMARY, CONCLUSION, RECOMMENDATION
SUMMARY OF FINDING
From the data collected the researcher observed from the respondent that students don’t find it difficult to use verbs in the sentence. While in table two (2) where the researcher wanted to know if the students can identify adverbs without the “ly” suffix, while 54 percent could not identify adverbs without the “ly” suffix. From the observation, more students cannot identify adverbs without the “Iy” suffix.
In table three (3) where the researcher wanted to know if the students were familiar with the clauses of adverbs, such as adjuncts, disjuncts and conjuncts, 38percent were familiar with the clauses of adverbs while 62% are not familiar with the clauses of adverbs.
In table four (4) where the researcher wanted to know if the students can use the adverbial phrases correctly, 40 percent of the students could use adverbial phrases correctly, while 60% cannot use the adverbial phrases correctly. From the observation, more students cannot use adverbial phrases correctly.
Finally, on the finding, where the researcher wants to know if the unpredictable nature of adverbs creates a problem to students learning English as a second language, the unpredictable nature of adverb do not create problems to 32% of students learning English as a second language. However 68% of the students see the nature of adverbs as a problem from the observation most students find the unpredictable nature of adverbs as a problem in learning English as a second language.
CONCLUSION
The researcher came up with the following major findings. Verbs and adverbs cannot be defined in isolation. This is to take care of words which in their traditional form have other meaning but change in line with their positions in given sentence structures.
In this assertion, certain verbs that are not action words are neglected, but in adverbs, they occupy three positions in sentence structures: Front position, mid position and end-position. As a result, some adverbial tend to fit into all the position at first glance but when placed in an in-exact position, they change the meaning of the structure of the sentence.
It is therefore difficult to generalize on the positions of adverbials. In views of this, a wrongly placed adverbs in a structure alters the meaning of ideas in sentence. In addition to what has been said so far, students and teachers alike show little concern towards the teaching and learning of both verbs and adverbs, and this behavior increases the error probability in the contextual usage of adverbial phrases:
RECOMMENDATION.
Since a verb is a word that denotes actions or doing. It’s function in a sentence is to make a statement about the subject of the sentence. There can be no sentence without a subject, to find a verb in a sentence you look for the word that denotes action or doing. The teacher should teach with a lot of concrete examples and not teaching haphazardly, allowing the students to make their own contribution by saying their own examples
It is very important to look at some basic words that are unavoidable in the teaching of verbs such as finiteness, transitive an intransitive verbs, verbs phrase etc.
Adverbials include not only the single word adverbs also particles and phrases, therefore the term is more embracing than adverb, its complexity, mobility and unpredictable nature should not make the teacher to draw a clear-cut distinction between the differences in the clauses of adverbial phrases.
From all that has been said on the verbs, adverbs and their phrases; the problems of their contextual usage could be reduced and thereby enhance more mastery and efficiency in the field of grammar.
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