Corpus linguistics for grammar: a guide for research

219 Pages·2015·1.76 MB·English

by  Christian Jones, Daniel Waller

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Corpus Linguistics for Grammar
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7 Corpus Linguistics for Grammar provides an accessible and practical introduc-
2 tion to the use of corpus linguistics to analyse grammar, demonstrating the
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1 wider application of corpus data and providing readers with all the skills
t and information they need to carry out their own corpus-based research.
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Di • explores the kinds of corpora available and the tools which can be used
n to analyse them;
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S • looks at specific ways in which features of grammar can be explored
a, using a corpus through analysis of areas such as frequency and
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r colligation;
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f • contains exercises, worked examples and suggestions for further prac-
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a tice with each chapter;
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• provides three illustrative examples of potential research projects in
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y the areas of English Literature, TESOL and English Language.
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er Corpus Linguistics for Grammar is essential reading for students undertak-
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i ing corpus-based research into grammar, or studying within the areas of
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U English Language, Literature, Applied Linguistics and TESOL.
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d Christian Jones is Senior Lecturer in TESOL at the University of Central
e Lancashire, UK.
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nl Daniel Waller is Senior Lecturer in ELT, Testing and TESOL at the
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University of Central Lancashire, UK.
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Routledge Corpus Linguistics Guides
Series consultants: Ronald Carter and Michael McCarthy
University of Nottingham, UK
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7 Routledge Corpus Linguistics Guides provide accessible and practical introduc-
2 tions to using corpus linguistic methods in key sub-fields within linguistics.
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1 Corpus linguistics is one of the most dynamic and rapidly developing areas
at in the field of language studies, and use of corpora is an important part
o] of modern linguistic research. Books in this series provide the ideal guide
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e for students and researchers using corpus data for research and study in a
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D variety of subject areas.
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a Ronald Carter is Research Professor of Modern English Language in the
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a, School of English at the University of Nottingham, UK. He is the co-series
ni editor of the Routledge Applied Linguistics, Routledge Introductions to
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o Applied Linguistics and Routledge English Language Introductions series.
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a Michael McCarthy is Emeritus Professor of Applied Linguistics at the
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f University of Nottingham, UK, Adjunct Professor of Applied Linguistics at the
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y University of Limerick, Ireland and Visiting Professor in Applied Linguistics
it at Newcastle University, UK. He is co-editor of the Routledge Handbook of
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e Corpus Linguistics and editor of the Routledge Domains of Discourse series.
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U Corpus Linguistics for Grammar
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y Christian Jones and Daniel Waller
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e Corpus Linguistics for ELT
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oa Ivor Timmis
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o Corpus Linguistics for Discourse Analysis
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Michael Handford
Corpus Linguistics for Sociolinguistics
Bróna Murphy
Corpus Linguistics for the Social Sciences
Tony McEnery, Amanda Potts, Vaclav Brezina and Andrew Hardie
Corpus Linguistics for
Grammar
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5 A guide for research
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D Christian Jones and
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S Daniel Waller
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First published 2015
by Routledge
2 Park Square, Milton Park, Abingdon, Oxon OX14 4RN
and by Routledge
711 Third Avenue, New York, NY 10017
Routledge is an imprint of the Taylor & Francis Group, an informa
business
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1 © 2015 Christian Jones and Daniel Waller
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h The right of Christian Jones and Daniel Waller to be identified as
c authors of this work has been asserted by them in accordance with
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a sections 77 and 78 of the Copyright, Designs and Patents Act 1988.
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5 All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reprinted or
0 reproduced or utilised in any form or by any electronic, mechanical, or
7 other means, now known or hereafter invented, including photocopying
2 and recording, or in any information storage or retrieval system,
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0 without permission in writing from the publishers.
1
at Trademark notice: Product or corporate names may be trademarks
] or registered trademarks, and are used only for identification and
o
g explanation without intent to infringe.
e
Di British Library Cataloguing-in-Publication Data
n A catalogue record for this book is available from the British Library
a
S Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data
a, Jones, Christian (Linguist) author.
i Corpus linguistics for grammar : a guide for research / Christian Jones,
n
r Daniel Waller.
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f pages cm. — (Routledge corpus linguistics guides)
li Includes bibliographical references and index.
a
C 1. English language—Grammar—Study and teaching (Higher)—Foreign
f speakers. 2. English language—Study and teaching (Higher)—Foreign
o speakers. 3. English language—Grammar—Research. 4. Second language
y acquisition—study and teaching—Foreign speakers. 5. Vocabulary—Study
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si and teaching (Higher) 6. Corpora (Linguistics) I. Waller, Daniel
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e (Linguist) II. Title.
v PE1128.A2J6423 2015
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n 420.1’88—dc23
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2015006152
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d ISBN: 978-0-415-74640-3 (hbk)
e ISBN: 978-0-415-74641-0 (pbk)
d ISBN: 978-1-315-71377-9 (ebk)
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n Typeset in Baskerville
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o by Swales & Willis Ltd, Exeter, Devon, UK
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Contents
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7 List of figures viii
2 List of tables x
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1 Acknowledgements xiii
at List of abbreviations xv
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Di Introduction 1
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a PART 1
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a, Defining grammar and using corpora 3
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o 1 What is a corpus? What can a corpus tell us? 5
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C 1.1 Introduction 5
of 1.2 What is a corpus? 5
y 1.3 Different types of corpora and good corpus design 6
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s 1.4 What a corpus can tell us 8
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v 1.5 The use of corpus linguistics in language
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U description: dictionaries 12
y [ 1.6 The use of corpus linguistics in language
b description: grammars 13
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e 1.7 What a corpus cannot tell us 15
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a 1.8 Conclusion 16
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n Further practice 16
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D 2 Definitions of a descriptive grammar 18
2.1 Introduction 18
2.2 Views on grammar 18
2.3 What is grammar? 20
2.4 What can a corpus tell us about grammar? 30
2.5 Conclusion 34
Further practice 34
vi Contents
3 What corpora can we access and what tools can we
use to analyse them? 36
3.1 Introduction 36
3.2 Open-access corpora 36
3.3 Conducting a basic search 39
7 3.4 Analysing open-access corpora 44
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0 3.5 Using open-access corpus analysis software 52
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r Further practice 59
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7 PART 2
2 Corpus linguistics for grammar: areas
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1 of investigation 61
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o 4 Frequency 63
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Di 4.1 Introduction 63
n 4.2 What does frequency look like in corpus data/
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a, 4.3 What can frequency tell us about language use? 72
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r 4.4 Language use in specific texts 73
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if 4.5 The impact of text type on frequency 74
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of 4.7 Limitations of frequency 80
y Further practice 82
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e 5 Chunks and colligation 84
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ni 5.1 Introduction 84
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5.2 Finding chunks in corpora 88
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d 5.4 What can chunks and colligation tell us about language use? 94
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d 5.5 Bringing the analysis together 98
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6 Semantic prosody 104
6.1 Introduction 104
6.2 Finding semantic prosody in corpora 106
6.3 Finding further patterns of semantic prosody in corpora 108
6.4 Further applications 111
Contents vii
6.5 What can semantic prosody tell us about language use? 112
6.6 Bringing the analysis together 114
6.7 Limitations 116
Further practice 117
7 PART 3
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0 Applications of research 119
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r 7 Applications to English language teaching 121
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5 7.1 Introduction 121
0 7.2 Corpora in ELT 123
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2 7.3 Other uses of corpora: first language learning 133
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at 7.5 Limitations 136
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Di 8 Wider applications: data-driven journalism and discourse analysis 139
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a 8.1 Introduction 139
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a, 8.2 Beginning an investigation 140
ni 8.3 Data-driven journalism and political speeches 141
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o 8.4 Intercultural discourse analysis 150
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al 8.5 Investigating ‘hereby’ in GloWbe 152
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f 8.6 Limitations 155
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rs 9 Research projects 157
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9.2 Sample study 1: Real and unreal conditionals in
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d Holmes 164
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l 9.4 Sample study 3: Colloquial language: the use of ‘bloody’ in a blog
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w corpus 170
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D 9.5 Conclusion 176
Further practice 176
Suggested answers 179
Glossary 192
Index 196
Figures
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7 1.1 Entry for ‘go’ from the Collins COBUILD dictionary 13
2 2.1 Concordance lines for ‘some’ and ‘any’ 21
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1 2.2 Adapted rank scale 25
at 2.3 Hansel and Gretel simplified text 29
o] 3.1 BYU-BNC spoken corpus search for ‘[v*] + for example’ 41
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e 3.2 BYU-BNC spoken corpus search for ‘*+ [v*] + for example’ 42
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D 3.3 Sample concordance lines and target form in context 43
n 3.4 Search for ‘You want to go + collocate’ in the BYU-BNC 48
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S 3.5 Sample concordance lines for ‘you want to go’ 49
a, 3.6 Samples of ‘in Hong Kong’ 51
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r 3.7 Sample frequency list – Sherlock Holmes corpus 54
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f 3.8 Top five keywords in Sherlock Holmes data 54
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a 3.9 Five most common four- and three-word N-Grams in
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y 3.10 Five most common keywords in Sherlock Holmes data 57
it 4.1 Know your oven 63
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e 4.2 Checking the frequency of ‘I must go’ 67
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i 4.3 Screenshot of search for ‘I must go *’ in the
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U BYU-BNC fiction corpus 69
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e 4.6 Concordance lines for ‘Vampire’ 71
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n a newspaper corpus 72
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o 4.8 The use of ‘may’ in the Prevention of Terrorism Act 74
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4.9 Agents identified by use of ‘must’ in the Prevention
of Terrorism Act 75
4.10 Concordance lines for modal verbs 76
4.11 Concordance lines for ‘should’ 76
4.12 Concordance lines for ‘she said she’s’ 79
4.13 Concordance lines for ‘she said she’d’ 79
5.1 Sample All My Children dialogue 85
Figures ix
5.2 ‘At the end of the day’ in the BYU-BNC spoken corpus 88
5.3 ‘Okay so’ in the HCKSE 90
5.4 Samples of ‘I was just wondering’ 99
6.1 Concordance lines from the BYU-BNC 105
6.2 Concordance lines for ‘I would say’ from the BYU-BNC 106
6.3 Use of ‘pronoun + verb to be + made to’ according to
7 category (part per million) in the BYU-BNC 107
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0 6.4 Concordance lines for ‘pronoun + verb to be + made to’ 108
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h 6.5 Search for ‘pronoun + verb to be + not very’ in the
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M 6.6 Search results for ‘it [vb*] not very [j*]’ in the
5 BYU-BNC spoken corpus 110
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7 6.7 Concordance lines for ‘it’s not very nice’ from the
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1 6.8 Concordance lines for passives from the BYU-BNC
at newspaper corpus 112
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a, 8.1 Three-word chunks in the conference speech corpus 145
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r 8.2 Concordance lines for ‘we’ve got to’ from the
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it of GloWbe corpus 155
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e 9.1 The principled research process 158
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i 9.2 Concordance lines for real and unreal patterns 161
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e 9.5 Samples of ‘bloody’ in the COCA magazine corpus 175
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oa 9.6 ‘Screaming bloody murder’ in a blog corpus 176
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n 10.1 Concordance lines for ‘the British people’ in a political
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10.2 Concordance lines for ‘the party of’ 190
10.3 Sample patterns with ‘If I + verb, I + verb’ from
a web corpus 191
10.4 Concordance lines for conditionals 191