基于语料库的情态动词can否定式口语化研究

A Corpus-based Study on the Colloquialization of the Negative Form of Auxiliary Verb Can

本文基于语料库考察了过去一个世纪英语情态动词can之否定形式口语体can’t和书面语体can-not使用频率变化的历史过程。研究结果发现:首先,从20世纪初期高频率使用正式的书面体形式cannot到21世纪初大量使用非正式口语体形式can’t表明,近一个世纪以来英语口语化趋势明显,其中美国英语的口语化进程快于英国英语;其次,can之否定式在口语化进程中曾出现与其书面语相互竞争、相互僵持的局面;最后,情态动词can否定式的口语化倾向在各种语体/语域中均有体现。文章最后结合社会和历史因素阐释了美国英语中情态动词can否定式的口语化倾向。相关研究结论开拓了语言变化研究的新视野,对了解中国英语学习者在英语书面语中出现的口语化倾向提供了新思路。

Based on corpora,this paper has investigated the change of varying ratio of the colloquial word can t to the literacy word cannot over the last century. The research findings show that:First,the change from the frequent use of the formal and literacy word cannot at the start of last century to the overwhelmingly frequent use of the informal and colloquial word can t at the beginning of this century explicitly illustrates the colloquial trend of English,and the colloquial process of American English proceede...