As-far-as-a-verb-can-check-its-features theory of adverb order and scope within TP¶

Theory · All theories
Evidence · 1 claim (1 for) · 1 study (1 associational), q2 · 0 of 1 report an effect size · 1 claim rests on one study

Description¶

The author proposes a principle, named the "as-far-as-a-verb-can-check-its-features theory", to explain adverb order and scope. Building on Chomsky's functional categories C, T and v, adverbs adjoin to CP, TP, vP or VP according to the features of each head (mood/modality adverbs to CP, time adverbs to TP, event-related adverbs to vP), and within TP co-occurring adverbs follow a strict linear order because T is "the farthest node which can be in relation to the node V". An adverb appearing in different positions varies in its scope, with the left-most element in English taking the widest scope.

Design Implications¶

Context¶

Requirements¶

• Learners must learn the meanings of different adverbs to know which functional head each can adjoin to

Constraints¶

• The account concerns adverbs within TP; the author states the order of adverbs within TP may be universal cross-linguistically, with only the parameter (left- vs right-adjoined) to be learned

Target Learners¶

• adult second-language learners of English

Target Learning Objectives¶

• acquiring the ordering and scope of co-occurring adverbs in English sentences

Claims¶

• Learners show no first-language transfer for manner adverbs, judging sentence-final placement acceptable and pre-verbal placement unacceptable despite Chinese word order [+W]

Related Theories¶

• Universal Grammar parameter-setting account of L2 adverb-position acquisition

Examples¶

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Key Sources¶

• ZHANG Zi-hong. (2010). The syntactic positions of adverbs and the Second Language Acquisition. Sino-US English Teaching, 7(9), 48-54. https://eric.ed.gov/?id=ED514708