LV An investigation into the Semantics of THE ENGLISH VERB “GET” AND THE VIETNAMESE VERBS “LẤY, NHẬN”

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i

STATEMENT OF AUTHORSHIP
Except where reference is made in the text of the thesis, this thesis
contains no material published elsewhere or extracted in whole, or in part
from a thesis by which I have qualified for or been awarded another degree or
diploma.
No other person’s work has been used without due acknowledgement
in the thesis.
This thesis has not been submitted for the award of any degree or
diploma in any other tertiary institution.
Da Nang, 2006

Huỳnh Thị Thanh Vân


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ii

ABSTRACT
The thesis explores semantic features of English verb “Get” and its
Vietnamese equivalents “Lấy, nhận” in terms of the semantic categories of
“acquiring”, “obtaining” and “receiving”. Through the contrastive analysis, I
identified the similarities and differences of these verbs on semantic and
syntactic aspects. Especially, greater attention was paid to the semantic field.
The study was carried out through the qualitative and descriptive approach.
Over one thousand samples were taken from different sources such as novels,
short stories, films, daily conversations in English and Vietnamese to

illustrate the structural and semantic analysis. The thesis also gives some
implications for English teaching-learning process.


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iii
TABLE OF CONTENTS
Page
Statements of Authorship ............................................................................... i
Abstract ......................................................................................................... ii
Table of Contents ............................................................................................ iii
Abbreviations .................................................................................................. iv
List of Tables................................................................................................... v
CHAPTER 1:

INTRODUCTION

1.1. Statement of the Problem ......................................................................... 1
1.2. Aims and Objectives of the Study............................................................ 2
1.2.1. Aims
1.2.2. Objectives
1.3. Scope of the Study ................................................................................... 3
1.4. Research Questions .................................................................................. 3
1.5. Methods of the Study ............................................................................... 4
1.6. Organization of the Study ........................................................................ 4
CHAPTER 2: REVIEW OF LITERATURE .......................................... 6
2.1. A Review of Previous Studies ................................................................. 6
2.2. Theoretical Background .......................................................................... 8
2.2.1. Functional Approach to Meaning .............................................. 8

2.2.2. Sense Relations ........................................................................... 9
2.2.3. General View of Verb................................................................. 18
2.3. Summary .................................................................................................. 25
CHAPTER 3:

METHODOLOGY AND PROCEDURES

3.1 Research Design and Methodology .......................................................... 26
3.2 Research Procedures ................................................................................. 27


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3.3 Data Collection ......................................................................................... 28
3.4. Data Analysis ........................................................................................... 29
CHAPTER 4:

RESEARCH AND DISCUSSION

4.1. Syntactic and Semantic Characteristics of the English Verb “Get” ....... 30
4.1.1. Basic Syntactic and Semantic Characteristics of the Verb “Get” ........... 30
4.1.2. Syntactic and Semantic Performances of the Verb ‘Get’ in the .. 37
Semantic Categories of “Acquiring,” “Obtaining,” and “Receiving”
4.2. Syntactic and Semantic Characteristics of the Vietnamese Verbs ....................53
“Lấy”, “Nhận” in the Semantic Categories of “Acquiring,” “Obtaining,” and “Receiving”
4.2.1. Syntactic and Semantic Characteristics of the Vietnamese Verb “Lấy”
4.2.2. Syntactic and Semantic Characteristics of the Vietnamese Verb “Nhận”
4.3. Similarities and Differences of the Verbs “Get” and “Lấy”, “Nhận”...... 64
Under Investigated Semantic Categories
4.3.1. The Verb “Nhận” in Contrast with the Verb “Get”...................... 64

4.3.2. The Verb “Lấy” in Contrast with the Verb “Get” ........................ 67
4.3.3. Some Suggestion for Translating “Get” into Vietnamese and
“Lấy”, “Nhận” into English ........................................................... 79
4.4. Summary ................................................................................................. 82
CHAPTER 5: CONCLUSION AND IMPLICATIONS FOR
ENGLISH LANGUAGE TEACHING
5.1. Conclusion................................................................................................ 83
5.2. Implications on Teaching, Learning, and Translation ............................. 85
5.3. Limitation and Suggestions for Further Research ......................................................88
REFERENCES................................................................................................ vi
APPENDIX ..................................................................................................... vii


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iv
ABBREVIATIONS
(In Alphabetical Order)
A

Adverbial

Di-trans. V

Di-transitive verb

DO

Direct object

C

Complement

Complex-trans. V

Complex-transitive verb

Conv

Daily conversation

HBO

HBO channel

IO

Indirect object

Mono-trans. V

Mono-transitive verb

NP

Noun phrase

PP

Prepositional phrase

O

Object

S

Subject

St

something

V

Verb

VP

Verb phrase


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v
LIST OF TABLES
Page
Table 2.1. The Main Senses of the English Verb “Get” and the
Vietnamese Verbs “Lấy” and “Nhận”.........................................13

Table 4.1. Diagram of the Main Senses of “Get” .......................................34
Table 4.2. Summary of the Main Senses of the Verb “Get”
and Its Equivalents in Vietnamese................................................37
Table 4.3. The Semantic Features of the Verb “Get” in Terms of the
Semantic Categories of “Acquiring,” “Obtaining”, and
“Receiving” ..................................................................................50
Table 4.4. Summary of the Main Senses of the Verb “Lấy” and Its
English Equivalents...............................................................................59
Table 4.5. The Main Senses of the Verb Get and Vietnamese
Equivalents in the Semantic Categories of
“Obtaining,” “Acquiring,” and “Receiving” ...............................64
Table 4.6. The Common and Distinctive Semantic Features of
the Verbs “Get” and “Lấy” “Nhận”. ............................................78


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vi

REFERENCES
Vietnamese
[1] Diệp Quang Ban (2002), Giáo Trình Ngữ Pháp Tiếng Việt, Trung tâm
ĐTTX- Đại học Huế.
[2] Nguyễn Tài Cẩn, (1998), Ngữ Pháp Tiếng Việt, Nxb ĐHQG Hà Nội.
[3] Nguyễn Hoà (2004), Understanding English Semantics, Nxb DHQG Hà Nội.
[4]

Nguyễn Hoà Lạc (2000), An Outline of Syntax, Nxb TPHCM

[5] Trần Hữu Mạnh, (2003), “Phân tích Đối chiếu Động ngữ Tiếng Anh và

Tiếng Việt trên bình diện Ngữ pháp-Ngữ nghĩa-Ngữ dụng” - Đề tài KH cấp
ĐHQG Hà Nội, Tạp chí Khoa học ĐHQGHN, Ngoại ngữ, T.XIX (2), 20-33.
[6] Huỳnh Vũ Chí Tâm (2004), A Study on Semantic Features of State
Related Verbs in English and their Vietnamese Equivalent Expressions,
Luận văn Thạc sĩ, ĐHĐN.
[7] Nguyễn Kim Thản, (19..), Động Từ trong Tiếng Việt, Nxb KHXH.
[8] Lương Kim Thư (2003), Verbs Denoting Causative Process, Luận văn
Thạc sĩ, ĐHĐN.
[9] Hồ Sỹ Thứ, (1998), “Get Một Động Từ Đa Dạng”, Easy English, Vol. 67, Tre Publishing House.

English
[10] Cruse, D.A. (1987), Lexical Semantics, CUP, 3-89.
[11] Delahunty, G.P., & Garvey, J.J. (1994), Language, Grammar, and
Communication, McGraw- Hill, Inc., Singapore.


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[12] Downing, A., & Locke, P. (1992), A University Course in English
Grammar, Prentice Hall.
[13] Fries, Ch. (1963), Teaching and Learning English as a Foreign
Language, University of Michigan Press.
[14] Ginzburg, R.S. et al., (1979), A Course in Modern English Lexicology,
(2nd ed.), Moscow Vyssaja Skola.
[15] Gramley, S., & Patzold, K.M. (2004), A Survey of Modern English, (2nd
ed.), Routledge, London and New York.
[16] Huddleston, R., & Pullum, G.K. et al. (2002), The Cambridge
Grammar of the English Language, CUP, 1442.
[17] Jacobs, R.A. (1995), English Syntax-A Grammar for English Language
Professionals, Oxford University Press, 167.

[18] Leech, G., Cruickshank, B., & Ivanic, R. (1989), An A-Z of English
Grammar and Usage, Edward Arnold, A Division of Holder and
Stoughton, London, Melbourne Auckland, 162-175.
[19] Levin, B. (1993), English Verb Classes and Alternations, University of
Chicago Press.
[20] Lyons, J. (1996), Linguistic Semantics-An Introduction, Cambridge
University Press.
[21] Miller J. (1998), An Introduction to English Syntax, Edinburgh
University Press.
[22] Quirk R. (1985), A Grammar of Contemporary English, (9th
impression), Longman, 342-369, 801-853.
[23] Thompson L.C., (1991), A Vietnamese Reference Grammar, University
of Hawaii Press.
[24] Widdowson H.G., (1996), Linguistics, Oxford University Press, 57-61.


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SOURCE OF EXAMPLES QUOTED
Vietnamese
[25] Nam Cao (2003), Những Tác Phẩm Tiêu Biểu trước 1945, Nxb Giáo Dục.
[26] Nguyễn Công Hoan (2001), Bước Đường Cùng, Nxb Đồng Nai.
[27] Nguyễn Lân (2000), Từ Điển Từ và Ngữ, Nxb TPHCM, 1039-1040.
[28] Nhiều tác giả (1999), Từ Điển Anh Việt, Nxb TP HCM, 733.
[29] Nhiều tác giả (1999), Từ Điển Tiếng Việt, Nxb Thanh Hoá.
[30] John Steinbeck (1993), The Grapes of Wrath, Biên tập: Phạm Sông Hồng.
[31] W.M. Thackơrê (1988), Hội Chợ Phù Hoa, Người dịch: Trần Kiêm, Tập
1,2 Nxb Văn học, Nxb Đà Nẵng.
[32] Viện Khoa học Ngôn Ngữ (1994), Từ Điển Anh Việt, Nxb Khoa Học Xã
Hội, 692-693.

[33] Viện Khoa học Ngôn Ngữ (1995), Từ Điển Việt Anh, Nxb Khoa Học Xã Hội.
[34] Nguyễn Như Ý (1999), Đại Từ Điển Tiếng Việt, Vol.1, Nxb TTVH.

English
[35] Nam Cao (1983), Chí Phèo and other Stories, (2nd ed.), Foreign
Languages Publishing House.
[36] Crowther, J. (Ed.), (1995), The Oxford Advanced Learner’s Dictionary,
Oxford University Press, 494.
[37] Hank, P. (Ed.), (1998), The New Oxford Dictionary of English,
Clarendon Press-Oxford, 769-770.
[38] Hemingway, E. (1986), The Short Happy Life of Francis Macomber,
Người dịch: Hoàng Tuý, Foreign Languages Publishing House.
[39] Hutchinson, T. (1997), Life Lines (Pre-Intermediate), OUP.
[40] International Story (1999), Người dịch: Bùi Quang Đông, Nxb TP.HCM.


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[41] Maugham, S. (1999), Dấu Chân Nơi Rừng Thẳm, Người dịch: Huỳnh
Thanh, Nxb Thanh Niên.
[42] McIntyre, A.(2005), The Semantic and Syntactic Decomposition of get:
An Interaction Between Verb Meaning and Particle Placement, Journal
of Semantics, 22(4), Oxford University Press.
[43] Merriam-Webster (1987), Webster’s Compact Dictionary of Synonyms, USA.
[44] Segal, E. (2000), Chuyện Tình, Người dịch: Hoàng Cường-Bích Thủy,
Nxb Thanh Niên.

[45] Shakespeare W. (1986), Tales from Shakespeare, Người dịch: Cao
Xuân Nghiệp, Nxb, TP.HCM.
[46] Steinbeck, J. (1993), The Grapes of Wrath, David Campbell Publishers Ltd.

[47] Song Hong Publisher (1963), Impasse, (A Translated version of the
original copy Bước đường cùng by Nguyen Cong Hoan).
[48] Thackeray, W.M. (1948), Vanity fair, The Zodiac Press.

Web pages
[49] (2006)
[50] b (2006)
[51] (2006)
[52] http://web. Top Ten Uses of Get. Wiki (2006)
[53] g (2005)


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vii
APPENDIX
Exercise: Decide between “have” or “get”, sometimes the verb needs
to be conjugated or put in the infinitive or gerund form.
1. I don’t care how much it costs! ______ me to the airport as fast as
you can!
2. I’d really like ______ fit, I just can’t find the time.
3. Waiter:
Customer:

Would you like something to drink?
Yes, I ______ a diet root beer.

4. No, no, you are my dinner guest tonight. Let me ______ the check.
5. Can you wait for ten minutes? I need ______ a rest.
6. This computer is so frustrating! I ______ problems ever since I

bought it.
7. Linda seems to be ______ second thoughts about her new job.
8. Frank really isn’t so bad once you ______ to know him.
9. That’s a beautiful new blouse! Where did you ______ it?
10. I hope you ______ a good time tonight.
11. Bowling looks like a lot of fun. Why don’t we ______ a try?
12. That restaurant ______ five stars.

Translation
A. Some translational sentences of “Get” in Vietnamese under the
investigated semantic categories of the study
1. He would go down and get that gun and see if he could fire it![40, p.232]
Cậu nên xuống giường và tìm lại khẩu súng xem thử cậu có thể bắn
được không?


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2. I was thinking what a grand opportunity we’ve got at last to show
these people how a school should be run. [40, p.246]
Anh đang nghĩ đây quả là một cơ hội lớn mà cuối cùng chúng ta đã có được
để chứng minh cho mọi người thấy ngôi trường sẽ được gầy dựng ra sao.
3. He’s got a permit and he’s already on his way. [40, p. 258]
Ông ta xin được giấy phép và đang trên đường đến đây.
4. She couldn’t see his face and suddenly had an overmastering desire
to get one glimpse of it

[40, p.291].

Cô không thể nhìn rõ mặt anh ta, và bỗng nhiên cô muốn được nhìn

qua gương mặt đó một chút.
5. He may be bad, but he’s got something that attracts animals [40, p.321].
Có lẽ hắn không may, nhưng hắn đã có một cái gì đó hấp dẫn được
những con vật đấy.
6. Some got down on one knee to shoot from below while others ran
from side to side trying to get a profile [40, p.358].
Vài người phải quỳ 1 chân xuống để chụp từ dưới lên, trong khi những người
khác chạy từ bên này sang bên nọ cố gắng để lấy được 1 ảnh chụp nghiêng.
8. If they got buff today there would only be rhino to come [38, p.80].
Nếu hôm nay mà họ hạ sát được trâu rừng, thì chỉ còn lại có tê giác thôi.
9. We got these pigs from Mount Ida, see you? [44, p.32]
Bọn mình đã cho tụi Mount Ida một mẻ, cậu hiểu không ... ?
10. Dowstairs it was tough to get a cab, it being theatre hour and all
[44, p.274].
Không dễ gọi được taxi vì đúng vào giờ tan rạp hát.
11. He decided, then, that he would try to get more certain proof that his father
was murdered than that of a spirit, or ghost, which might be false [45, p.51].


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Bấy giờ chàng quyết định rằng chàng sẽ thử tìm cách có nhiều bằng
chứng chắc chắn chứng tỏ cha chàng bị mưu sát hơn là bằng chứng
của một linh hồn, hay hồn ma có thể giả dối.
12. I got out my codebook and worked out what the letter said [41, p.224].
Tôi lấy cuốn mật mã ra và giải mã xem trong thư nói gì.
13. Then Hamlet asked her how she could continue to live with this
man and be a wife to him, who had murdered her first husband, and got
the crown by the same false means as a thief [45, p.56].
Rồi Hamlet hỏi bà làm sao bà lại có thể tiếp tục sống với con người

này và làm vợ của hắn, kẻ đã giết người chồng thứ nhất của bà và
chiếm lấy ngai vàng cũng bằng thủ đoạn gian dối như một tên trộm.
14. But Cordelia was filled with shame at the untrue words of her
sisters, which she new only meant to get a large part of their father’s
Kingdom [45, p.93].
Nhưng Cordelia rất hổ thẹn trước những lời lẻ không chân thật của các
chị mình, mà nàng biết chỉ nhằm mục đích lấy cho được phần lớn
vương quốc của cha nàng.
15. Before setting off I got very clear directions how to get there [35, p.192]
Trước khi đi, ở nhà tôi đã hỏi đường cẩn thận rồi.
17. Then get your ass home to my dinner table [44, p.258].
Thế thì anh liệu mà lê xác về nhà bửa tối nhé.
18. Desdemona had not get it with her [45, p.83].
Desdemona không mang theo nó bên mình.
20. I mean, there is a certain irony involved when guys who spend the first years
of their sex lives preoccupied with not getting girls pregnant [44, p.246].


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Thực vậy, kể cũng khá nực cười là đám con trai trong những năm đầu của
đời sống tình dục thì lo làm sao không để cho bạn gái của mình có thai.
21. If this drunkard got the better of Sergeant Tao, fine [35, p.39].
Nếu nó trị được đội Tảo thì tốt lắm.
22. And then he showed her the husband she had got instead of him [45, p.56].
Và tiếp đó chàng cho bà thấy bộ mặt người chồng mà bà đã lấy thay
cho người.
B. Some translational sentences of “Lấy” in English under the
investigated semantic categories of the study
1. And what do you want me to put on my back?

[40, p.100]

Vậy anh muốn tôi lấy gì để khoác lên lưng tôi đây cơ chứ?
2. And they saw Chi Pheo rolling over and over on the ground
screaming, his face lacerated with broken glass [35, p.23].
Và họ thấy Chí Phèo lăn lộn dưới đất vửa kêu vừa lấy mảnh chai cào
vào mặt.
3. They were securely placed and hard to extract [26, p.38].
Những thức ấy khó lòng lấy ra được.
4. She had to weave some meters of stuff to sell them the next day to
pay the interests on their debt [47, p.120].
Thị lại phải dệt vải lấy tấm vải để mai đi bán về đưa lãi nợ.
5. With his towel, Pha wiped the cup which was on the altar and
reverently carried the tray to the bed [47, p.61]
Pha lấy khăn rửa mặt lau chiếc chén vẫn úp trên củi trong buồng, rồi
cung kính bưng mâm lên.
6. The Guard who was lying on a bed nearby rose to his feet picked up
the bunch of keys and opened the detention cell [47, p.88].


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Một người lính đang nằm ở phản gần đó ngồi nhỏm dậy, lấy chìa khóa,
mở cửa buồng giam.
7. His wife dabbed his palms and the soles of his fat with some lime to
sober him up [47, p.123]
Vợ anh lấy vôi bôi vào bàn chân, bàn tay cho anh.
8. Where ever you hide it, go and bring it back here [47, p.190].
Giấu chỗ nào thì đi mà lấy về.

9. As soon as she had taken leave of Amelia, and counted the guineas
which good-natured Mr Sedley had put into a purse for her, and as soon
as she had done wiping her eyes with her handkerchief [48, p.58].
Sau lúc từ biệt Amêlia, khi đã đếm cẩn thận số ghi-nê, ông Xetlê bỏ
trong cái túi biếu mình, cô lấy một cái khăn tay chấm khô nước mắt.
10. They are a good deal worn now; but you know, we poor girls can’t
afford des fraiches toilettes [48, p.85].
Bây giờ cũng đã cũ lắm rồi, nhưng chị cũng rõ đấy, con gái nhà nghèo
chúng em lấy tiền đâu ra mà may áo mới.
11. Osborne took a letter directed to the officer, and giving it the clerk,
requested the latter to deliver it into Dobbin’s own hand immediately...
Ông Ôxborn lấy 1 phong thư ngoài bì để gửi cho Đôphin và bảo người
nhân viên của mình trao ngay tận tay viên đại úy.
12. And she would break out with her satire, but she could soon put on
a demure face [48, p.239].
Rêbecca hay giở giọng châm biếm ra (như hầu hết mọi trường hợp
khác) nhưng rồi cô cũng lấy lại được vẻ mặt trang nghiêm ngay.
13. He pleased himself by noting down with a pencil, in his big
schoolboy hard writing, the various items of his portable property
which may be sold for his widow’s advantage.


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Anh ta lấy bút chì nguệch ngoạc kê ra giấy những thứ có thể bán được
lấy tiền cho người vợ goá [31, p.524].
14. Who broke the Frenchman’s sword with the butt of his musket [48, p.268]
Anh ta lấy báng súng đập gãy gươm của tên sĩ quan Pháp.
15. Amelia stood scared and silent as William thus suddenly broke the
chain by which she held him, and declared his independence and

superiority [48, p.550]
Amêlia sợ hãi đứng lặng nghe Đôphin tuyên bố lấy lại quyền tự do và
ưu thế của mình.
16. Because his intention is to drag things cut and seize your land.
Ý lão muốn ngâm đấy để lấy ruộng kia [26, p.157].
17. I suppose Becky was discontented with the new piano her husband
had hired for her, or perhaps the proprietors of that instrument had
fetched it away, declining further credit [48, p.136].
Tôi cho là Bêcky không ưa cây dương cầm mới, chồng vừa thuê cho
mình, hoặc có lẽ người chủ đã lấy về rồi, không cho thuê tiếp nữa.
18. Thi No was very pleased [35, p.58]
Thi No lấy làm bằng lòng lắm.
19. I’ve always felt ashamed of having taken the poor old man’s money
[48, p.440].
Bắt buộc phải tiêu tiền của người đàn bà khốn khổ ấy, tôi vẫn lấy làm ngượng.
20. Impatient, he stamped the grand and scraped the moss of the wall
with his fingers [47, p.133].
Chờ nóng ruột, anh gí chân xuống đất, và lấy tay cạo rêu tường.


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Chapter 1
INTRODUCTION
1.1 Statement of the Problem
Language is the medium by which we think and communicate. In the
language communication we have difficulties in expressing our ideas,
especially in transferring meanings of words from a language to another one,
in our case from English to Vietnamese and vice versa. English is very
complicated for Vietnamese learners. As English and Vietnamese are of two

different language types of distant language families. In addition, there are
quite a lot of differences in the way of thinking, lifestyle, and literature
between the Vietnamese people and the English native speakers. These
differences themselves have caused many difficulties for Vietnamese learners
of English. Moreover, the reason is there are some words that have many
meaning categories and their meanings sometimes are very different from
each other, as the English verb “get”.
The English verb “get”, as some grammarians stated, has eight general
semantic categories which can be divided into approximately twenty-seven
semantic meanings, not including its other meanings in fixed expressions [37,
p.769-770]. Thus, the verb “get” is most complicated. And the Vietnamese
verb “lấy” is the most equivalent to it in terms of the semantic categories of
“acquiring,” “obtaining” and “receiving”. Lấy is also various in its meanings
in Vietnamese. Due to their insufficient knowledge of all semantic
components coded in each lexeme, learners of English often have trouble in
choosing the right word in the target language for the translational equivalent.
We assume that the semantic features of these verbs reveal more complicated
and interesting issues to linguists.


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Learning to interpret and express the idea of “acquiring,” “obtaining,”
“receiving” with the verbs “get” and “ lấy” is a difficult task for Vietnamese
learners of English, and also, the confusion in the choice of words and their
meanings is problematic for those who learn Vietnamese. Awareness of the
meanings of these verbs will help learners get a better understanding of their
usage, find out English-Vietnamese as well as Vietnamese-English
translational equivalents, avoid producing word-for-word translations in
language transfer. As far as Vietnamese learners of English are concerned, the

use of the verbs “get” and “ lấy,” “nhận” in the meaning of “obtaining,”
“acquiring” and “receiving” can be of practical value and the same thing can
be said to the learners of Vietnamese. From my own teaching experience, I
have found that Vietnamese learners in general and the students at my college
in particular have met with some problems in using and understand the
meaning of the English verb “get.”
For example: (1) Let me get my diary.

[39, p.133]

- Get my diary in (1) means take the diary or go and bring the diary back.
(2) He hurries out to get the bus.

[39, p.132]

- Get the bus in (2) means take, catch the bus, or go by bus.
(3) Mary can’t get leave from her father.

[28, p.733]

- Get leave in (3) transfers the sense of asking for permission.
Therefore, a study for the successful way to translate ‘Get’ into
Vietnamese and ‘Lấy, nhận’ into English will be a contribution to the
teaching and learning the two languages. Similarities and differences found
from the analysis between English and Vietnamese will be of great benefit to
Vietnamese learners of English and foreign students of Vietnamese as well.


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1.2 Aims and Objectives of the Study
1.2.1 Aims
This study aims to examine the syntax and semantics of the English
verb “get” and the Vietnamese verb “lấy,” “nhận” in terms of the semantic
categories of “acquiring,” “obtaining” and “receiving,” to help learners
thoroughly understand the differences and similarities on semantic features of
these verbs in English and Vietnamese, and to make the effective use of them.
1.2.2 Objectives
The study is intended to:
- set up a theoretical framework to describe the English verb “get” and
the Vietnamese verb “lấy,” “ nhận”.
- identify, describe and compare syntactically and semantically the
verbs “get” in English and “lấy,” “ nhận” in Vietnamese.
- find out their differences and similarities in syntactic and semantic features.
-find out the successful way to translate the verbs “get” into
Vietnamese and “lấy,” “nhận” into English.

1.3 Scope of the Study
It is true that the verb “get” covers a wide range of use in spoken
English. The study would be of great success if it dealt with all its senses.
However, due to the shortage of time and the length limit, the paper is just
intended to examine mainly syntactic and semantic features of the English
verb “get” and the Vietnamese verbs “lấy” and “nhận” in terms of the
semantic categories of “acquiring,” “obtaining,” and “receiving”. The paper is
excluded to investigate the use as a phrasal verb of “get.”

1.4 Research Questions
The above objectives can be attained when several answers to the
following questions are sought:

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- What are the common syntactic and semantic features of the verbs
“get” and “lấy,” “ nhận”?
- What are the distinctive semantic features of each verb?
- What differences and similarities in terms of syntax and semantics
exist among the verbs “get” and “lấy,” “ nhận”?
- How should we translate the verb “get” into Vietnamese and “lấy,”
“nhận” into English?

1.5 Methods of the Study
The study is carried out through descriptive, qualitative, and contrastive
methods. The qualitative research design is used and supported by an
empirical of data collected.

1.6 Organization of the Study
The study consists of five chapters:
Chapter 1, Introduction includes the statement of the problem, the aims
and objectives, research questions, research methods, the scope and
organization of the study
Chapter 2 highlights prior studies on which the research can be based.
Furthermore, the section discusses a variety of concepts related to the field of
semantics in which stress is laid on the semantic features and componential
analysis. General view of English and Vietnamese verbs is also given.
The Methodology and Procedures of the study involving the design,
and procedures of the research, the data description of the study are presented
in Chapter 3.
Chapter 4 deals with the investigation into common as well as
distinctive semantic features of each verb. Description of the verbs ‘get’ and

“lấy,” “nhận” particularly on the semantic features of “acquiring,”
“obtaining” and “receiving” is presented. The contrastive analysis is then


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carried out to discover the differences and similarities of these verbs. Some
suggestions for translating the verbs “get” into Vietnamese and “lấy” into
English are also given.
Chapter 5, Conclusion will draw some final conclusions and suggest
the implications for teaching and learning. It also puts forward some
limitations and unsolved problems for further research.


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Chapter 2
REVIEW OF LITERATURE
2.1. A Review of Previous Studies
Research into word meaning began long time ago, and set up a branch
of the science of language, which is called Semantics. In the 1920s and 1930s,
a number of German and Swiss scholars first put the theory of semantic fields
forward. A semantic field is a set of interrelated senses based on a conceptual
field. For example, the colour terms may constitute a field [3, p.125].
The bulk of English words are polysemantic, they possess more than
one meaning. In polysemantic words, we are faced not with the problem of
analysis of individual meanings, but primarily with the problem of the
interrelation and interdependence of the various meanings in the semantic
structure of one and the same word.
Contrastive analysis between the two languages has been considered as

an indispensable stage in language learning and teaching. Ginzburg (1979)
realized each language contains words, which cannot be translated directly
from this language into another [14, p.237]. Thus, the comparativist compares
languages in order to trace their philogenic relationships, but Contrastive
linguistics attempt to find out similarities and differences in both
philogenically related and non-related languages. Fries [13, p.9] stated that
the most effective teaching materials are those that are based upon a scientific
description of the language to be learned carefully compared with a parallel
description of the native language of the learners.
In recent years among research works of linguistics there have been
different schools of thought, and a number of attempts have been made to find
efficient procedures for the analysis and interpretation of meaning. An


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important step forward was taken in 1950’s with the development of
componential analysis.
In fact the more common the word the more meanings it has. It is true
for the verb ‘get’ which is most complicated in meaning. Kenneth Beare
(2006) stated that the verb “get” is used in many senses in English and can be
confusing at times [52, p.1].
About multiple-class membership of verbs in the book, entitled “A
Grammar of Contemporary English” Quirk R. et al (1985) defined six patterns
of the verb “get” [22, p.348].
In Vietnam, we may mention certain recent research works on the
semantic issues. Nguyễn Hoà (2004) relying on the works of many scholars
provided us with the complete view on Semantics – a fascinating field. In the
thesis titled ‘Verbs Denoting Causative Process’ by Luong Kim Thu ‘get’ was
defined as a causative verb, e.g. ‘You’ll never get him to understand’ [8,

p.38]. And “get” as a state related verb in the thesis ‘A Study on Semantic
Features of State Related Verbs in English and their Vietnamese Equivalent
Expressions’ by Huỳnh Vũ Chí Tâm, e.g. ‘It’ll get bigger when you wear the
shirt’ [6, p.34].
There were articles about the verb “get” in “Easy English” magazine in
which Hồ Sĩ Thứ gave some uses of this verb [9, p.20].
But there has not been any research paper which investigates the
syntactic and semantic features of the English verb “get” and the Vietnamese
verbs “lấy,” “nhận” in contrast. Their semantic categories and expressions
are presented only in dictionaries. In my study, I attempt to make a
contrastive analysis of the syntax and semantics of the verb “get” in English
and its Vietnamese equivalent verbs “lấy,” “ nhận”’ in terms of the semantic
categories of “acquiring,” “obtaining” and “receiving”.


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2.2. Theoretical Background
The verbs “get” and “lấy,” “nhận” are put into investigation in the
light of Sense Relations and Componential Analysis Approach. Before
discussing these main problems, we should have some knowledge about the
meaning of the word.
2.2.1. Functional Approach to Meaning
There are many approaches to word meaning. The functional approach
is sometimes described as contextual, as it is based on the analysis of various
contexts [21, p.35]
The functional approach maintains that the meaning of a linguistic unit
may be studied only through its relation to other linguistic units and not
through its relation to either concept or referent.
For instance, the meanings of the two words examine and examination

are different because they function in speech differently. To examine, can be
followed by a noun (examine is a verb), preceded by a pronoun (we examine),
etc. The position occupied by the word examination is different: it may be
follow by a preposition (examination of students), preceded by an adjective
(important examination), and so on.
As the distribution of the two words is different, we can conclude that
not only do they belong to different classes of words, but that their meanings
are different as well.
The same is true of the different meanings of one or the same word. We
can observe the difference of the meanings of the word get if we examine its
functions in different linguistic contexts; ‘get a letter’ (a chair, a telegram...)
as opposed to ‘to get to somewhere’.


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It follows that in the functional approach 1/ semantic investigation is
confined to the analysis of the difference or sameness of meaning; 2/ meaning is
understood essentially as the function of the use of linguistic units [21, p.35].
2.2.2. Sense Relations
2.2.2.1. Types of Meaning
Word meaning is not homogeneous but is made up of various
components, the combination and the interrelation of which determine to a
great extent the inner facet of the word. These components are usually
described as types of meaning. There are 2 main types of meanings: the
grammatical and the lexical meanings.
+ Grammatical meaning [14, p.18] may be defined as the component of
meaning recurrent in identical sets of individual forms of different words as
e.g., the tense meaning in the word-forms of verbs (spoke, talked, got, etc) or
the case meaning in the word-forms of various nouns (men’s, dentist’s, etc.).

+ Unlike the grammatical meaning, lexical meaning [14, p.19] is
identical in all the forms of the word. Thus, e.g., the word forms “get, gets, got,
getting, gotten a message” possess different grammatical meanings of tense,
person and so on, but in each of these forms we find one and the same semantic
component denoting the process of obtaining. This is the lexical meaning of the
word which may be described as the component of meaning proper to the word
as a linguistic unit, i.e. recurrent in all the forms of this word.
The difference between the lexical and grammatical components of
meaning is not in the concepts underlying the two types of meaning, but
rather in the way, they are conveyed.