Dependent mechanism of Chinese prepositions processing in the brain:evidence from event-related potentials

Objective To compare the event-related potentials （ERPs） waves of verbs and prepositions in the brain. Methods We recorded ERPs in the brain while participants judged the legality of the collocation for verbs and ＂preposition＂. Results Both verbs and prepositions elicited a negativity at the frontal site in 230-330 ms and 350-500 ms window. No difference was seen in 230-330 ms and 350-500 ms window; In difference waves, a negativity was elicited in the left and fight hemisphere at about 270-400 ms and 470-600 ms window for both open and closed-class words. Conclusion These may demonstrate that prepositions in modem Chinese are probably not a separate class from verbs and that N280 may be not a specific component for only prepositions （or closed-class words）.

The Characteristics of the Prepositions and Prepositional Phrases in Business English Contracts and Translation

A majority of contracts will use many prepositions and prepositional phrases to reflect their preciseness which cause the treaty wording complicated and hard to understand. This paper tends to demonstrate the characteristics of the prepositions and prepositional phrases used in business English contracts and explore the translation strategies used in translating the features of the prepositions and the prepositional phrases in business English contracts. The findings of this paper can provide a reference for the majority of the trade workers, which can help them accurately and effectively draft or translate a contract and avoid unnecessary disputes.

论英语中pied piping和preposition stranding的标记值判定

英语pied piping(介词随伴)和preposition stranding(介词后吊)这两个结构的标记值判定是学术界存有争议的一个问题。一般而言,语言结构的标记值判定可遵循频率和历时这两条标准。频率标准分为文本频率和跨语言频率两个标准,前者通常用以判定语言特有的标记值,而后者是用来判定跨语言的标记普遍性。两者判定的结果如果不同可以并存,但不能相互替代。另外,从历时的角度看,语言的标记值不是固定不变的,而是随语言的发展而发生转移。因此,评价个别语言的标记值时就不能套用跨语言的标记评价标准,而只能根据个别语言在特定时期所特有的语言事实予以指派。

Preposition+Abstract Noun结构试析

作者主要对英语中"介词+抽象名词"这种结构进行了分析。发现:"介词+抽象名词"在句子中修饰动词时的功能=副词的功能;这种结构在翻译时与副词相似。作者还将这种结构与介词短语所构成的习语性副词短语进行了比较。

Cognitive and Semantic Research of English Preposition in

By assuming that the meaning of natural languages is rooted in the human capacity for conceptualization,this paper examines the semantic structure of the English preposition in,and suggests an analysis within cognitive semantics where it is argued that the various sense of prepositions are extended from a central sense in quite systematic ways and the figurative senses from the spatial ones through conceptual metaphors.

A Corpus-based Comparative Analysis of Temporal Prepositions“In-On-At”

Prepositions"in,on,at"can be used as spatial prepositions as well as temporal prepositions.The temporal usages of "in,on,at"vary from each other in indicating different concepts of time.ESL students are often confused with the usages of temporal prepositions.This paper makes a comprehensive analysis of usages of"in,on,at",aiming at distinguishing their befuddling usage principles and exploring the priority when their temporal usage principles are confronted with each other.

On the Association and Collocation of Lexicology:Between Adjectives and Prepositions

Before we focus association and collocation on a given subject,it is highly important to pay attention to association and collocation between word-classes.The essay endeavors to restate the key rules of association and collocation and restrict itself to the associative and collocative relationship between adjectives and prepositions.

A Written Corpus-Based Semantic Research on the Preposition ＂In＂ of Mongolian English Learners

"In" is one of the most important and difficult prepositions for Chinese Mongolian English learners. Based on the cognitive linguistics theory and corpus method, the thesis analyzes the semantic difference of preposition"in"between Mongolian English learners and native speakers. The results show that(1) Mongolian English learners underuse spatial sense while overuse temporal sense and metaphorical sense.(2) As for ten semantic groups, Mongolian English learners overuse eight semantic groups in which six groups have a significant relationship.

An event-related potential observation of preposition processing in Chinese: Is N280 a specific component for Chinese prepositions?

BACKGROUND： Studies have shown that closed-class words, such as prepositions and conjunctions, induce a left anterior negativity （N280）, indicating that N280 should be a specific component of the word category. OBJECTIVE： To observe if Chinese prepositions and verbs exhibit different linguistic functions, to determine whether they are processed by different neural systems, and to verify that N280 is a specific component. DESIGN, TIME AND SETTING： The observed neurolinguistics experiment was performed at Xuzhou Normal University between November and December 2006. PARTICIPANTS： Sixteen undergraduate students, comprising 8 females and 8 males, with no mental or neuropathological history, were selected. METHODS： A total of 15 verbs and prepositions were used as linguistic stimuli, and each verb and preposition was combined to produce four correct phrase collocations and four incorrect ones. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES： Event-related potentials were recorded in the subjects while they read correct or incorrect phases flashed upon a video screen. RESULTS： Both verbs and prepositions elicited negativity at the frontal site in a 230-330 ms window, as well as at the fronto-temporal and central sites in a 350-500 ms window. Neither exhibited significant differences in peak [F（1, 15） = 0.144, P = 0.710] and latency [F（1, 15） = 0.144, P= 0.710]. Both verbs and prepositions elicited negativity at the left and right hemisphere in a 270-400 ms window. CONCLUSION： There was no significant difference between Chinese prepositions and verbs in the neural system process and N280 was not the specific component for closed-class words.

A Brief Account of the Polysemy of Spatial Prepositions

空间介词往往会给我们的日常交流造成障碍,这主要是由于我们使用空间介词时,通常会用到它的非空间性指代。在这篇小论文中,我想通过综合前人在这方面的研究,首先运用物理世界的角度来解答空间介词的时间指代性,然后,运用原型意思来解释空间介词的暗喻用法。

小议near作prepositional adjective

本文作者对near在句中作介词形容词用法进行了讨论和归纳,使得中国学生和初学者更容易理解。从而得出:同一个词在不同的句中可有不同的词性。

A Study on Acquisition of English Preposition in by Chinese Non-English Major Students Under the Principled-Polysemy Model

English preposition is one of difficult points in second language acquisition.This paper analyzes the differences of the senses of preposition in between Chinese non-English major students and native English students based on corpus from a perspective of cognitive linguistics.The study has found that Chinese non-English major students overuse the prototypical semantic entries,the low-level metaphorical entries and certain fixed phrases of in,without the diversity in using other metaphorical meanings.Through systematic analysis of the selected data,we think that the non-correspondence of prepositional semantic categories between English and Chinese caused by different conceptualizations is the main cause of this deviation.

A Brief Review on SLA-Based Approaches to the Teaching of Preposition “on”

English prepositions have always evoked great challenges to ESL/EFL students for their polysemy and complicated usages.Many linguists and grammarians have proposed different views regarding their learning and acquisition.In order to investigate the implications for preposition teaching,SLA-based approaches to the study of on,one of most important prepositions,are reviewed briefly.It is pointed out that a more systematic and principled method is called for.

A Comparative Analysis of Lexical Prepositions in the Ibibio and Igbo Languages

This paper aims at comparing the lexical prepositions of the Ibibio and Igbo languages.Its objectives are to identify what constitute lexical prepositions in Ibibio and Igbo and highlight the similarities and differences between Ibibio and Igbo lexical prepositions.The Ibibio data used for analysis were elicited from two Ibibio native speakers whereas Igbo data were obtained through introspection.The Ibibio and Igbo data were analysed descriptively.The findings of the research reveal that the lexical prepositions obtainable in Ibibio are ke‘to,in,for,at’,mme‘with’,ano‘from’,and ito/nto‘from’.In Igbo,some of the lexical prepositions include:na‘to,in,at,from’,maka‘for’,and gbasara‘about’.The similarity observed between Ibibio and Igbo lexical prepositions is that they both occur before a Noun Phrase(NP),that is,they take NP as their complement.In terms of their differences,the preposition‘to’is marked in Igbo but is unmarked in Ibibio.The preposition‘with’is overtly marked in Ibibio with mme but it is implied in Igbo constructions.Another notable difference between Ibibio and Igbo lexical prepositions is that the English preposition‘from’inflects for number in Ibibio but such feature is absent in Igbo.The paper recommends that further comparative researches should be carried out on other types of preposition like the category incorporated prepositions,and other word classes between Ibibio and Igbo in particular and other African languages in general.

A Cognitive Semantic Study on English Preposition“ON”—from the Per spective of“Schema Theory”

In terms of“schema theory”and“metaphor theory”,the semantics of English preposition“on”are divided into three main parts in this article,including core meaning,metaphorical meaning and special uses of it.Furthermore,it organizes and elabo rates on the semantics of each part,in order to better analyze the polysemy of English preposition“on”

Study on Polysemy of Prepositions from the Perspective of Cognitive Semantics——a Case Study of Preposition On and Over

Prepositions in English language have the characteristics of polysemy,and their semantics meanings have significant abstract features.Based on the perspective of cognition and taking on and over as examples,this thesis uses the transformation of image schema and its metaphorical projection to provide an explanation for the polysemy of prepositions.In-depth exploration of the polysemy of English prepositions aims to further interpret the internal cognitive system generated by specific meanings,and help learners to fully grasp the extension of the meaning of prepositions.

A Cognitive Interpretation of the Proto-scene of Preposition ON

Based on Tyler & Evans' principled polysemy and from the perspective of cognition, this research interprets the protoscene of preposition ON and points out that it is defined by means of two aspects: geometric and functional, with the former referring to"the TR being in vertical contact with the upper side of the LM"and the latter"the LM supporting it".

A Typological Investigation into L2 Chinese“Prepositional Phrase-verb”Word Order Acquisition

The study,using an interlanguage corpus,investigates how international students in China acquire“prepositional phrase-verb”word order.It found that students whose mother tongue features VO and OV word order mostly produce pre-placement structure of“prepositional phrase+verb”,which is similar to Chinese word order and hence reflects an overt influence of the target language.However,when producing post-placement structure of“verb+prepositional phrase”,VO type L1 speaking students slightly outnumber those OV type L1 speaking students,which indicates limited influence of L1 transfer.In addition,other factors such as the relator principle and the temporal iconicity principle also exert certain influence on the word order acquisition of“prepositional phrase-verb”structure.

A Study of the Translation of Preposition Used in Pride and Prejudice from the Perspective of Skopostheorie

Preposition,as indispensable part in English,is vital to English-to-Chinese translation due to its flexibility and polyse⁃my.This research analyses translation skills or strategies of prepositions in Pride and Prejudice from the perspective of Skopostheo⁃rie.Finally conclusion are drawn that translator should know about preposition feature and consider both the source text and target readers requirements for the better translation.

Second Language Learners＇ Frequency-based Learning of English Prepositions

Because of the obscurity of English preposition and the difficulties of acquisition of its abstract semantic knowledge,learners partly rely on frequently apperceived word co-occurrence(WCO)as collocational knowledge of prepositions.This study will explore the role and scope of frequency-based learning and its relationship to L2 learners’performance on prepositions.The data suggest that,for all proficiency levels,frequency determines learners’ability to acquire preposition and show a growing dependence on collocational knowledge among lower English proficiency learners.The paper will further propose implications for instructing English prepositions to L2 learners at different levels.