There 구문 분석

Abstract

The purpose of this study is to analyze the existential there-construction in High School English Textbooks. Syntactically, there are certain rules in the usage of the construction. However, in everyday English, there are some exceptions that totally break the rules, and those exceptions are so commonly used that they are not even considered as 'ungrammatical usage'. To understand the use of the existential-there construction, this study analyzes 576 sentences collected from High School English Textbooks in terms of the characteristics of the construction: indefiniteness of NP, verbs, number agreement and function. The results of this study are as follows: First, the existential there-construction is usually used with an indefinite NP. However, in everyday English, a definite NP is used when its meaning in a sentence is indefinite. In this case, a definite NP functions as a reminder or an item of a list. In High School English Textbooks, most of the sentences have indefinite NPs(97.6%). However, it is found that 2.4% have definite NPs. Second, the existential there-construction is usually used with the verb 'be' and other intransitive verbs that represent existence. In High School English Textbooks, 84% of the sentences are used with 'be', 13% are used with modal verbs, and only 3% are used with other intransitive verbs such as 'remain', 'live', 'exist', etc. Third, in the existential there-construction, the number of verb agrees to the logical subject rather than the grammatical subject, 'there'. However, in everyday English, it is commonly found that a singular verb is used with plural NP, especially when the singular verb contracted form -'s attaches to the preceding 'there'. In this case, the construction itself behaves as a single invariable unit that indicates existence of something. In High School English Textbooks, 99% of the sentences follow the number agreement rule and 1% do not follow the rule and agree to the grammatical subject, 'there'. Lastly, the existential there-construction is used to lead a hearer's attention to the new information to make it sound more natural. In discourse, the new information is often used as a subject or a topic in the following sentences; it is called 'topicalization'. In High School English Textbooks, about 43% of sentences are topicalized and are used as a subject or a topic in the following sentences. With all these findings, this study has reached this conclusion. In everyday English, there are common exceptions in the usage of the existential there-construction that break the grammatical rules and are not considered as ungrammatical usage. In High School English Textbooks, however, these exceptions are not fully dealt with. So I suggest that the construction and its function in discourse be fully dealt with in High School English Textbooks to help students understand authentic English.