HANOI PEDAGOGICAL UNIVERSITY N02 FOREIGN LANGUAGES FALCULTY  LUONG THI MY THIEU COMMON ERRORS IN THE USE OF NEGATIVE PREFIXES TO NOUNS AND ADJECTIVES (SUBMITTED IN PARTIAL FULFILMENT OF THE REQUIREMENTS OF THE DEGREE OF BACHELOR OF ARTS IN ENGLISH) SUPERVISOR: NGUYEN VAN DEN, M.A Hanoi, May 2012 ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS I would like to take this chance to express my greatest gratitude to Mr Nguyen Van Den, M.A., my supervisor, for his patience in providing continuous and careful guidance as well as encouragement, indispensable suggestions and advice Also, I would like to express my particular thanks to all my beloved lecturers, who always motivated and encouraged me to finish my thesis early Especially, I would like to show my sincere thanks to the junior students in class K35 in the Foreign Language Faculty, who helped me with my questionnaire I am particularly grateful to all my friends for their precious assistance throughout the process of writing this thesis Last but not least, I owe a debt of gratitude to my beloved family, for their whole – hearted encouragement and endless support ABSTRACT Negative prefixes to nouns and adjectives are a unique and interesting category of English grammar The number of negative prefixes is very large, and each prefix has its own characteristics as well as uses Therefore, they sometimes cause confusion to learners of English As a result, students of English often make errors when they use negative prefixes to nouns and adjectives Therefore, this research work entails studying the uses of these negative prefixes and conducting a survey for error analysis Based on the results of the survey, the types of errors and causes have been found Solutions to the problems have been suggested STATEMENT OF AUTHORSHIP Title: Common Errors in the Use of Negative Prefixes to Nouns and Adjectives I certify that no part of this thesis has been copied from any other person’s work without acknowledgements and that the thesis is originally written by me under the instructions from my supervisor Date submitted: April, 24 Student Supervisor Luong Thi My Thieu Nguyen Van Den, M.A PART ONE INTRODUCTION Acknowledgments Abstract Statement of authorship I RATI0NALE II RESEARCH PRESUPPOSITION III RESEARCH OBJECTIVES IV RESEARCH SCOPE V RESEARCH TASKS VI RESEARCH METHODS VII RESEARCH SIGNIFICANCE VIII RESEARCH DESIGN PART TWO DEVELOPMENT CHAPTER ONE: THEORETICAL BACKGROUND I.1 LITERATURE REVIEW IN BRIEF I.2 NEGATIVE PREFIXES TO NOUNS AND ADJECTIVES I.2.1 English word – formation I.2.1.1 Definition of word – formation I.2.1.2 Productivity of word – formation I.2.1.3 Kinds of word – formation I.2.1.3.1 Affixation I.2.1.3.2 Compounding I.2.1.3.3 Shortening I.2.1.3.4 Conversion I.2.1.3.5 Back – formation 10 I.2.1.3.6 Sound imitation 10 I.2.2 Affixation 11 I.2.2.1 Definition of an affixation 11 I.2.2.2 Common kinds of affixation 11 I.2.3 Prefixation 11 I.2.3.1 Definition of prefixation 11 I.2.3.2 Classification of English prefixes 12 I.2.3.2.1 Regarding etymology 12 I.2.3.2.2 Regarding uses 12 I.2.3.2.3 Regarding semantics 13 I.2.3.3 Definition of negative prefixes 13 I.2.3.3.1 Definition of negative prefixes to nouns 13 I.2.3.3.2 Definition of negative prefixes to adjectives 13 I.2.4 Common features of negative prefixes 14 I.2.4.1 Negative prefixes and parts of speech 14 I.2.4.2 English prefixes and stress on derivatives 14 I.2.4.3 Negative prefixes used mainly in medicine: anti-, contra-, counter-, dys-, ex-, extra-, mal-, de-, a- 14 I.2.4.4 Other features of negative prefixes 15 I.2.5 Kinds and uses of negative prefixes to nouns and adjectives 15 I.2.5.1 Basic negative prefixes 16 I.2.5.1.1 The prefix a- /(an-) 16 I.2.5.1.2 The prefix dis- 16 I.2.5.1.3 The prefix in-, ir-, il-, im- 17 I.2.5.1.4 The prefix non- 18 I.2.5.1.5 The prefix un- 19 I.2.5.2 Negative prefixes expressing diverse opinions 20 I.2.6 Differences among prefixes 23 I.2.6.1 Difference between un- and dis- 23 I.2.6.2 Difference between non- and un- 24 I.2.6.3 Difference between anti- and counter- 24 CHAPTER TWO: COMMON ERRORS IN THE USE OF NEGATIVE PREFIXES TO NOUNS AND ADJECTIVES II.1 SURVEY 25 II.1.1 Purpose of the survey 26 II.1.2 Population of the survey 26 II.1.3 Type of the survey 26 II.1.4 Construction of the survey 27 II.1.5 Preparation of the survey 27 II.1.5.1 Questionnaire items 27 II.1.5.2 Arrangement of the test items 28 II.1.6 Administration of the try-out 29 II.1.6.1 Preparation of the try-out 29 II.1.6.2 Try-out 29 II.1.7 Method of data analysis 30 II.1.8 Results of the survey 30 II.2 ERRORS: TYPES AND CAUSES 32 II.2.1 Errors in the distinction of meanings between un- and dis- 32 II.2.2 Errors in the distinction of words whose initial letters are the same as negative prefixes but whose meanings are different 33 II.2.2.1 Errors in the distinction of the prefix un- with negative meaning and un- with the meaning of the verse 33 II.2.2.2 Errors in the distinction of the prefixes in- and im- with negative meaning and those referring to place or movement 34 II.2.2.3 Errors in the distinction of the prefixes a- and an- with negative meaning and those with the meaning of being in a particular condition or way; or the meaning of being in, to, at or on something 35 II.2.2.4 Errors in the distinction of prefixes in-, im- with negative meaning and in- with the meaning of emphasis 36 II.2.2.5 Errors in the distinction of the prefix non- with negative meaning and non- with the meaning of nine 37 II.2.3 Errors in the addition of the prefix in- to certain adjectives having suffix -ed and ing 37 II.2.4 Errors in the identification of part of speech of words having negative prefixes 38 II.2.5 Errors in the determination of different spelling forms of the negative prefix in- to various roots 39 II.2.6 Errors in the determination of negative prefixes to different parts of speech of the same word 39 II.2.7 Errors in the determination of stress on words with negative prefixes 40 II.2.8 Errors in the addition of the prefix un- to the common words which have the opposite 41 II.2.9 Errors in the addition the prefix non- to verbs 41 II.2.10 Errors in the use of the prefix a- with negative meaning and this prefix with the meaning of to or towards 41 II.3 SUGGESTED SOLUTIONS AND EXERCISES 42 II.3.1 Suggested solutions 42 II.3.2 Suggested exercises 45 PART THREE CONCLUSION PART ONE INTRODUCTION I RATIONALE English is used as an international language in many countries all over the world In Vietnam as well as in other countries, there is a greater and greater need to learn English, from young to old, and from male to female Therefore, English is taught in Vietnam at every educational level Vietnamese learners have to face many difficulties or obstacles when they learn this international language because each language has its own origin, characteristics and values It is inevitable that when learning English as a foreign language, Vietnamese students usually have problems on account of the differences between Vietnamese and the target language The differences in the system of language may bring about learning problems for foreign language learners It is proved that English grammar is complex and often causes embarrassment to students especially in communication Negative prefixes are one of the grammatical items that play an important role in learning and communicating as well Negative prefixes are used widely However, using these prefixes correctly and effectively is rather complex Negative prefixes consist of plentiful meanings, forms and characteristics as well Students find it hard to realize the similarities and differences between English negative prefixes Of course, in learning English in general and negation in particular, being influenced by the mother tongue is unavoidable Due to its various uses, it is assumed that there are many errors which may be made As a senior student in the Foreign Languages Faculty, this thesis is accomplished with the hope of making a contribution to the process of adding negative prefixes to nouns and adjectives For the reasons above, this study is conducted with the aim of focusing on errors in using negative prefixes to nouns and adjectives II RESEARCH PRESUPPOSITION Some questions are raised: What kinds of errors in using negative prefixes are made by the junior students in the Foreign Languages Faculty? What kinds of errors in the addition of negative prefixes to nouns and adjectives are the most often made by the junior students in the Foreign Languages Faculty? What are the causes of the errors in using negative prefixes made by the junior students in the Foreign Languages Faculty? What are the effective ways to minimize the errors made by the junior students in the Foreign Languages Faculty? III RESEARCH OBJECTIVES The study is aimed at the following goals: To find out the kinds of errors in the use of negative prefixes to nouns and adjectives made by the junior students in the Foreign Languages Faculty To find out the causes of the errors in the use of negative prefixes to nouns and adjectives made by the junior students in the Foreign Languages Faculty To offer some suggestions to minimize errors in using negative prefixes to nouns and adjectives IV RESEARCH SCOPE The general research area of this study is grammar The phenomenon is the errors in using negative prefixes to nouns and adjectives made by the junior students in the Foreign Languages Faculty Others relating to the negative III.3.1.3 Studying negative prefixes to nouns and adjectives through translation Another method in learning these negative prefixes is translating them into the learners' mother tongue This way will help learners understand the similar meaning of this prefix in their first language For example, the prefix un- in Vietnamese means không, bất, vô unacceptable: chấp nhận unsafe: bất an unfounded: vô III.3.1.4 Practising speaking and writing Negative prefixes to nouns and adjectives are really diversified and complex Students not have any choice to master them but to learn them by heart and practise as much as possible Students should make use of negative prefixes in speaking and writing For example, instead of saying “I not agree with this idea”, speakers can say “I disagree with this idea” The second sentence is more succinct and easier to understand In speaking, applying negative prefixes many times gradually becomes a habit This word with its negative prefix will come in mind any time of communication In writing, using the words with negative prefixes may help the writing much more academic and meaningful Using these prefixes many times will help learners remember them well Moreover, students are advised to apply all types of negative prefixes so that they may have full understanding about them III.3.1.5 Learning negative prefixes based on part of speech In English, different parts of speech may have different negative prefixes They depend on roots For example, the adjective able will go with the negative prefix un-, meanwhile the derivational noun ability goes with the negative prefix in- However, both the adjective and noun active and activity go with the prefix in- When studying negative prefixes to nouns and adjectives, it is the best for learners to set a table including different parts of speech with their prefixes For example: ROOT ADJECTIVE WITH NOUN WITH PREFIX PREFIX advantage disadvantageous disadvantage able Unable inability legal Illegal illegality III.3.1.6 Learning how to differentiate the meanings of negative prefixes All prefixes belonging to negative prefixes at least have one common meaning, negative meaning However, their uses or shades of meaning are not always similar Thus, learners may base themselves on the use or shade of meaning to have the correct distinction For example, both un- and dis- convey the meaning of not However, their shades of meaning are not the same The prefix dis- is stronger than un- In certain situations, dis- seems to imply a vector, or a change in state Look at another example of un- and in- Although both have the meaning not, their uses are not the same While un- can go with adjectives ending in -ing or -ed, it is not true with the prefix in- III.3.2 Suggested exercises Exercises on the negative prefixes to nouns and adjectives in grammar and test books could be made to consolidate what students have learnt Moreover, they are also advised to design particular exercise types to minimize student’s errors in the use of these negative prefixes Here are some suggested exercise types Identify the prefixes (if any) in the following words Circle the best answer A, B, C, D to complete each sentence Replace the underlined words with one suitable word Choose the word which has a different stressed syllable from the others As for the first exercise type, the student has to identify the negative prefix This exercise is designed to help students distinguish the negative prefix with certain initial letters of words As for the second exercise, students learn how to apply different forms of the prefix in-to various roots, distinguish the prefix un- with the prefix dis-, or identify the meaning of the prefix non- The third exercise type is aimed at helping students understand the use of the prefixes non-, mis- and how to change the prefixes to suit different roots The last exercise is designed to consolidate what students have learnt about the change of stress on words having negative prefixes By practicing this exercise type, they can minimize errors in identifying stress To sum up, these exercises are hoped to improve student’s understanding of negative prefixes, and then minimize their mistakes PART THREE CONCLUSION Grammar is the science of language In other words, it is the skeleton as well as the foundation on which all learners have to base themselves on to master a new language Obviously, its importance has been affirmed by a large number of linguists and learners Negative prefixes to nouns and adjectives belong to advanced and difficult aspects of English grammar Therefore, students, even advanced students, often face difficulties and make mistakes when dealing with them The analysis has shown that most students cannot grasp all types of negative prefixes to nouns and adjectives Many students admitted that they often feel confused and find it hard to distinguish the differences between these prefixes Many prefixes have similar meanings; they are different only in productivity and intensity The research focused on definitions, types, uses and common mistakes made by the students Especially, the differences between prefixes have been distinguished carefully and adequately Then a survey was conducted in order to test the students’ understanding of negative prefixes to nouns and adjectives and to find the common mistakes made by them The survey was well prepared with the effort from the author as well as the consultancy from reliable sources of material Diversified exercises were included in the survey with the hope that students would feel more interested in doing them The outcome of the survey has proved that the negative prefixes require advanced knowledge of English grammar According to the result of the research, the errors in the use of the prefix awith negative meaning and this prefix with the meaning of “to” or “towards” constitute the highest percentage (75%), The errors in the distinction of the prefixes in- and im- with negative meaning and those referring to place or movement together with the mistakes related to the distinction of prefixes in-, im- with negative meaning and in- with the meaning of emphasis rank second at 62.5% The errors connected to the distinction of the prefix un- with negative meaning and un- with the meaning of “do the verse” are the fewest, only 12% It can be seen that the major cause is that the meanings of negative prefixes are so diversified and plentiful Learners always try to distinguish the uses of each prefix That makes students confused Moreover, the number of negative prefixes to nouns and adjectives is pretty large Therefore, it is difficult for students to memorize and master all of them Based on the analysis, the following notes are useful: To teachers: - Lecture on the importance of negative prefixes to nouns and adjectives - Present the uses of such prefixes together with clear examples and illustrations - Provide students with sufficient knowledge of negative prefixes - Clarify and distinguish the different meanings of various prefixes - Introduce the ways and techniques to memorize all types of negative prefixes - Introduce adequate exercise types related to these prefixes - Motivate students to study negative prefixes, for example, through games To students: - Beware of the importance and usefulness of negative prefixes to nouns and adjectives - Grasp the theory of negative prefixes and their uses - Do as many exercises as possible - Apply the rules when dealing with exercises - Try to use negative prefixes in everyday language as well as in writing It is hoped that the thesis has made certain contributions to the English teaching in Vietnam and that further research should be done REFERENCES Baugh A C., & Cable, T (1951) A History of the English Language India: Replika Press Pvt Ltd Coleman, J & Kay, C (1998) Lexicology, Semantics, and Lexicography Manchester: John Benjamins Publishing Company Dzuganova B (2007) Negative Affixes in Medical English Slovakia: Bratisl Lek Listy Dzuganova B (2007) Seemingly or Partially Negative Prefixes in Medical English Slovakia: Bratisl Lek Listy Dzuganova B (2007) Synonymy of Negative Prefixes Concerns also Medical English Slovakia: Bratil Lek Listy Fisiak, J (1986) Linguistics across Historical and Geographical Boundaries Berline: Walter de Gruyter GmBH & Co KG, D – 10785 Berline Gardner, P.S (2005) New Directions: Reading, Writing, and Critical Thinking Cambridge: Cambridge University Press Garner, B.A (1995) A Dictionary of Modern Legal Usage Oxford: Oxford University Press Hamawand, Z (2011) Morphology in English: Word Formation in Cognitive Grammar.London: Continuum International Publishing Group Harcourt, H M (1996) The American Heritage Book of English Usage America: Houghton Mifflin Company Imahayashi, O & Nakao, Y (2009) Aspects of the History of English Language and Literature Hiroshima: The English Research Association of Hiroshima (ERA) Lass, R (1999) The Cambridge History of the English Language Cambridge: Cambridge University Press March J et al (2003) Negative Prefixes can be positively Confounding Edit Prosmarketing Communications Marchand, H (1969) The Categories and Types of Present-day English Word-formation California: Beck Plag, I (2003) Word – Formation in English Cambridge: Cambridge University Press Plag, I., Braun, M., Lappe, S & Schramm, M (2007) Introduction to English Linguistics Berline: Walter de Gruyter GmBH & Co KG, D – 10785 Berline Richek A M (2011) The World of Words: Vocabulary for College Success America: Wadsworth Stekauer, P (1998) An Onomasiological Theory of English Wordformation America: John Benjamins Publishing Company Tsoi, T Linglish.net 15th September, 2008 22th April, 2012 http://www.linglish.net/2008/09/15/so-many-negative-prefixes/ APPENDICES SURVEY QUESTIONNAIRE I Exercise 1: Identify the prefixes (if any) in the following words For example: Unnecessary: prefix “Un” Counterclockwise: Contraposition: Internal: Abnormal: Asocial: Arise: Dysfunctional: Disloyal: Ex-boyfriend: 10 Maladapted: II Exercise 2: Multiple choice Our enthusiasm remained … A inabated B reduced C unabated D inreduced …do not like alcohol, wine and even beer A Drinkers B Nondrinkers C Nondrinker people D Heavy drinkers The word “maculate” is opposite to “…” A inmaculate B ilmaculate C irmaculate D immaculate In your case the rules have been… A imapplied D misapplied B inapplied C nonapplied All our protests were… A unavailing B inavailing C nonavailing D imavailing Do you have anything …? I don’t drink wine and beer A nonalcoholic B unalcoholic C misalcoholic D inalcoholic I think we should clear up … B unapprehension B misapprehension C nonapprehension D inapprehension Petrol is highly… A inflammable B flammable C very flammable D very inflammable He is becoming increasingly …Nobody can bear him inrational B imrational C ilrational D irrational 10 John is a foolish man, full of …plans A nonpractical B impractical C mispractical D abpractical 11 Muriel has made a valuable contribution to our company’s success In contrast, what you have done is really … invaluable B worthless C worthy D imvaluable 12 The opposite word of “infamous” is “…” - famous B notorious C reputable D shameful 13 Meanwhile foreign imports into Britain continued to grow in the 1970s In retaliation, Britain banned … of cloth to France A port B exports C products D production 14 Even the most minor forms of … were punished A nonbehavior B misbehavior C unbehavior D inbehavior 15 “Non” in the word “nonagon” means… A no B wrong C eight D nine 16 Five hundred rebels were captured and … B disarmed B unarmed C inarmed D imarmed 17 This is a/ an … organization These people are uninterested in politics, and not connected with any political party A political B impolitical C inpolitical D apolitical 18 Children shouldn’t be … to adults A unrespected B disrespectful C nonrespectful D.irrespectful 19 Make sure you use the … to make the chicken melted thoroughly A imfroster B unfroster C defroster D infroster 20 …dialects of English differ from standard English most importantly at the level of grammar - Unstandard B Misstandard C Nonstandard D Instandard III Exercise 3: Replace the underlined words with one suitable word The fence surrounding the camp is not high Answer: Their political line is directed incorrectly Answer: The protest against the government is not violent Answer: Many teenagers are not able to talk to their parents about their problems Answer: His lack of ability to control the ball Answer: IV Exercise 4: Choose the word which has the different stress from the others A inaccuracy B manage C nebbish A engineer B cucumber C disappointed D liable D.noncompetitive A understand B immigrate C influenza D.nonappearance A unaccompanied B referee C committee D refugee A insert C miserable informal B infamous D SUGGESTED EXERCISES Exercise 1: Fill in negative prefixes to form the OPPOSITE of each of the adjectives below acceptable, accurate, adequate, agreeable, approachable, appropriate, bearable, compatible, complete, conscious, contented, convenient, credible, decisive, desirable, discreet, excusable, experienced, faithful, flexible, frequent, grateful, healthy, helpful, hospitable, legal, legible, legitimate, literate, logical, mature, moral, mortal, obedient, organised, passive, patient, perfect, personal, polite, probable, readable, regular, resolute, responsible, respectful, sane, satisfactory, satisfied, sociable, sufficient, variable, visible Exercise 2: Find the correct negative prefixes to complete these definitions Something that is adequate is not good enough A person who can't read and write is literate If something is edible, it means it cannot be eaten Something that is reversible cannot be changed back If somebody is reliable, you cannot trust or depend on them If something is legitimate, it means it is not allowed or accepted A person who is honest cheats others If you get something solicited, you didn't ask for it and you don't want it Something that is measurable is too big to be measured 10 If something is perfect, it is not completely correct 11 If your love is requited, it means that the person you're in love with doesn't love you 12 If you are loyal, you betray your friends or your country Exercise 3: Match the prefix to the suitable word UN DIS lucky loyal immature sensitive happy honest patient friendly tolerant selfish obedient pleasant ambitious reliable IN IM Excise 4: Choose the word which has the different stress from the others A inactive B unable C inadequate D misadventure A unhappy B misalliance C distrust D disunity A misinformation B antibiotic C nonexistence A extracurricular B misapply unabashed D misdiagnose C misbehave D [...]... participating in the survey questionnaire was sixty three II.1.3 Type of the survey The questionnaire is in the form of a test which has the following types of exercises: identifying prefixes, choosing the correct answer and finding out the suitable word To investigate into common errors in the use of the prefixes in- , il-, im- and ir-, the questionnaire has 23 sentences Ten sentences are used to test errors in. .. suggested solutions to minimize such errors II.1 SURVEY As mentioned above, the study does help students of English to have a deep insight into negative prefixes to adjectives and nouns in English In the process of providing students with knowledge of these prefixes, the thesis has identified common errors made by Vietnamese students Making errors in applying negative prefixes to adjectives and nouns is unavoidable... English in order to have better understanding about negative prefixes to nouns and adjectives in English 2 Input for learners in order to minimize their errors in using negative prefixes 3 Input for teachers of English with information on error types and solutions to the problems in order to help their students have a deep insight into negative prefixes VIII RESEARCH DESIGN The research work has three main... TWO COMMON ERRORS IN THE USE OF NEGATIVE PREFIXES TO NOUNS AND ADJECTIVES In speech, adjectives and adverbs are used to give color to what is being said Adjectives describe nouns or pronouns, and adverbs modify verbs Therefore, the use of adjectives as well as adverbs becomes very popular Moreover, derivatives from them are also widely used Adding negative prefixes is one of the most effective ways to. .. survey The survey questionnaire was designed to test the student’s understanding of the negative prefixes to adjectives and nouns and to find out common errors made by the students in the Foreign Languages Faculty in the academic year of 2011 – 2012 Then, it will be the background for introducing possible solutions to these mistakes II.1.2 Population of the survey The questionnaire was designed for the. .. researchers have studied the differences among negative prefixes as well as the errors often made by learners In addition, the errors students make when using negative prefixes have not been studied specifically and profoundly Therefore, it is essential to have a comprehensive study of the common errors in negative prefixes to nouns and adjectives I.2 NEGATIVE PREFIXES TO NOUNS AND ADJECTIVES I.2.1 English... errors in the use of the prefix un- The prefix nonappears in 11 sentences The prefix mis- is set out in 7 sentences To examine the students’ ability to deal with the prefixes a-, ab- and an-, the questionnaire contains 5 sentences Common errors in the identification of stress on words with negative prefixes are surveyed in 5 sentences Other errors are researched into in the rest In short, there are... attention on the kinds and uses of negative prefixes Pavol Stekauer in the book An Onomasiological Theory of English Word-formation (1998) studies the definition of word – formation as well as the process of coining a new naming unit (words) and productivity of word – formation processes Studying word – formation is the foundation for studying negative prefixes In the book The Cambridge History of the English.. .prefixes are also briefly mentioned The population involved in the study is sixty three students in class K35A and K35B V RESEARCH TASKS The study involves fulfilling the following tasks: 1 To study the definition, formation, classification and meanings of negative prefixes in English 2 To study the grammatical features of negative prefixes in English 3 To conduct a survey to find out error types and. .. (adj) From the above examples, these prefixes il-, counter- and dis- are used to modify the meaning of the original roots to create new words Prefixation brings about another way of broadening vocabulary and learning English new words When mastering the meaning of these prefixes, learners can guess the meaning of newly – formed words I.2.3.2 Classification of English prefixes I.2.3.2.1 Regarding etymology ... kinds of errors in the use of negative prefixes to nouns and adjectives made by the junior students in the Foreign Languages Faculty To find out the causes of the errors in the use of negative prefixes. .. meaning and in- with the meaning of emphasis Errors in the distinction of the prefix non- with negative meaning and non with the meaning of nine Errors in the addition of the prefix in- to certain... with the meaning of the verse Errors in the distinction of the prefixes in- and im- with negative meaning and those referring to place or movement Errors in the distinction of the prefixes a- and