Advanced Students' Knowledge of Vocabulary in a First and Second Language by Karlsson Monica;

Author:Karlsson, Monica;
Language: eng
Format: epub
Tags: Advanced Students Knowledge of Vocabulary in a First and Second Language
Publisher: Multilingual Matters
Published: 2022-09-28T00:00:00+00:00

Figure 5.1 The different prepositional types seen along a predictability continuum (Karlsson, 2002: 110)

As for multi-word verbs, a concept that Swedish learners – in contrast to many other L2 learners of English – are already familiar with (Moon, 1997: 46), there is no real consensus among researchers as to how they should be defined. For instance, while some researchers see them as one type of idiom (e.g. Fernando, 1996; Makkai, 1972), others regard them as vocabulary items in their own right (e.g. Grant & Bauer, 2004; Moon, 1998). Also, whereas some researchers think that only comparatively non-transparent items should be considered true phrasal verbs (e.g. Liu, 2008),6 others believe, due to the fact that these verb–particle combinations may be defined not only by semantic criteria but also by syntactic criteria, that quite or totally literal combinations should be classified as phrasal verbs too. Since almost all the verb–particle combinations included in the present investigation are non-transparent items, the vast majority being completely opaque, no stand will be taken in the matter by the present author.

Forming a continuum, a number of criteria are used to distinguish more idiomatic items from those that are comparatively literal in character. Some are of a semantic nature. Firstly, idiomatic verb–particle combinations often have one-word synonyms, such as visit for call on, ring for call up and postpone for put off, which emphasise the semantic unity of the structure.7 From this it also follows that the verb in an idiomatic multi-word verb cannot be replaced by a near synonym without there being a change in meaning (The Oxford Dictionary of Phrasal Verbs, 1993). Similarly, most idiomatic combinations do not permit the particle to be exchanged or omitted. In Bill passed over the bread, in which the phrasal verb used is relatively non-idiomatic, it is possible to exclude the particle over (Bill passed the bread) and still retain the original meaning (The Oxford Dictionary of Phrasal Verbs, 1993: 424–425). In They figured out that he was offended by what had happened, which contains the idiomatic phrasal verb figure out, meaning come to realise, it is on the other hand not possible to omit the particle, since the single-verb item figure means to believe/think, as in She figured that he was offended by what had happened (Mondor, 2008: 84). Furthermore, for many opaque verb–particle combinations, there also exist noun counterparts, such as a break-up and a break-down based on the multi-word verbs to break up and to break down (The Oxford Dictionary of Phrasal Verbs, 1993: 425).

Other criteria are syntactic in character. For example, while literal verb–particle combinations permit objects to be placed between the verb and the particle, as in Mary picked the pen up instead of Mary picked up the pen, this is less acceptable in non-idiomatic combinations, as exemplified by Fido picked the scent up instead of Fido picked up the scent (Mondor, 2008: 82). Fronting of the particle is usually also only possible in non-idiomatic phrasal verbs. This means that while it is fully

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