AJ22065 Semantics: The English Verb

Faculty of Arts
Spring 2004
Extent and Intensity
0/2/0. 4 credit(s). Type of Completion: zk (examination).
Teacher(s)
doc. PhDr. Naděžda Kudrnáčová, CSc. (lecturer)
Guaranteed by
Jeffrey Alan Vanderziel, B.A.
Department of English and American Studies – Faculty of Arts
Contact Person: Mgr. Michaela Hrazdílková
Timetable
Thu 8:20–9:55 31
Course Enrolment Limitations
The course is also offered to the students of the fields other than those the course is directly associated with.
The capacity limit for the course is 20 student(s).
Current registration and enrolment status: enrolled: 0/20, only registered: 0/20, only registered with preference (fields directly associated with the programme): 0/20
fields of study / plans the course is directly associated with
there are 7 fields of study the course is directly associated with, display
Abstract
The seminar deals with some of the problems of the semantics and syntax of the English verb, taking into consideration the functionalist and structuralist view. The seminar uses as its starting point Zeno Vendler's classification of verbs, which is largely based on the time schemata in which English verbs occur. In the analysis of English verbs the method of componential analysis will also be employed (the meaning of the lexeme is seen in terms of a number of discrete, distinct components of meaning). This is an investigative seminar, aimed at encouraging an active approach of students toward the subject matter.
Key topics
- Vendler's time schemata - states, actions, accomplishments, achievements, semelfactives - verbal aspect - the dichotomy 'telicity' versus 'atelicity' - semantic multivalence of English verbs - internal semantic structure of English verbs versus their internal temporal structuration - componential analysis - English verbs in middle constructions
Study resources and literature
  • William Frawley: Linguistic Semantics (Hillsdale, NJ: Lawrence Erlbaum) 1992
  • DUŠKOVÁ, Libuše. Mluvnice současné angličtiny : na pozadí češtiny. Vyd. 1. Praha: Academia, 1988, 673 p. info
  • QUIRK, Randolph. A comprehensive grammar of the English language. Edited by David Crystal. 1st pub. London: Longman, 1985, x, 1779. ISBN 9780582517349. info
  • DANEŠ, František. Věta a text : studie ze syntaxe spisovné češtiny. Vyd. 1. Praha: Academia, 1985, 234 s. URL info
  • VENDLER, Zeno. Linguistics in philosophy. Ithaca: Cornell University Press, 1967. info
Method of verifying learning outcomes and course completion requirements (in Czech)
Seminar; Assessment: a written test at the end of the course.
Language of instruction
English
Further comments (probably available only in Czech)
The course is taught each semester.
Credit evaluation note: 2 původní kredity.
The course is also listed under the following terms Autumn 1999, Spring 2000, Autumn 2001, Spring 2003, Spring 2005, Spring 2006, Autumn 2006, Autumn 2007, Autumn 2008, Autumn 2009, Autumn 2010, Autumn 2011, Autumn 2012, Autumn 2013, Autumn 2014, Autumn 2015, Autumn 2016, Autumn 2017, Autumn 2018, Autumn 2019.
  • Enrolment Statistics (Spring 2004, recent)
  • Permalink: https://is.muni.cz/course/phil/spring2004/AJ22065