A contrastive study of structural and semantic features of english yes no questions and their vietnamese equivalents

MINISTRY OF EDUCATION AND TRAINING
HANOI OPEN UNIVERSITY

M.A. THESIS
A CONTRASTIVE STUDY OF STRUCTURAL AND
SEMANTIC FEATURES OF ENGLISH YES-NO QUESTIONS
AND THEIR VIETNAMESE EQUIVALENTS
NGHIÊN CỨU ĐỐI CHIẾU ĐẶC ĐIỂM CẤU TRÚC VÀ NGỮ NGHĨA CỦA
CÂU HỎI NGHI VẤN TRONG TIẾNG ANH VÀ SỰ LIÊN HỆ TƯƠNG
ĐƯƠNG VỚI TIẾNG VIỆT

NGUYỄN THỊ LINH

Hanoi, 2016


CERTIFICATE OF ORIGINALITY
I, the undersigned, hereby certify my authority of the study project report
entitled :“A contrastive study of structural and semantic features of English
Yes-No questions and their Vietnamese equivalent” submitted in partial
fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Master in English
Language. Except for the indicated reference, no other person’s work has
been used without due acknowledgement in the text of the thesis.
Hanoi, 2016

Nguyen Thi Linh

Approved by
SUPERVISOR

Date:……………………

ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS


This thesis could not have been completed without the help and
support from a number of people. I would like, hereby, to extend my
profound gratitude to my supervisor Nguyen Dang Suu who has patiently
and constantly supported me through the stages of the study, and whose
stimulating ideas, expertise, and suggestions have inspired me greatly
through my growth as an academic researcher.
Also, I am very grateful to all the teachers at the Faculty of
Postgraduate Studies of Hanoi Open University for their interesting and
useful lectures which have built in me a firm foundation with immense ideas
for the fulfillment of this paper.
In particular, my special thanks go to my parents who have, as it
always goes, encouraged and supported me so much in all respects.
Last but not least, I should also express my heartfelt thanks to my
dear friends who have shared with me a lot during my studies and my
research work as well.


ABSTRACT

The study is aimed at characteristics of English Yes- No questions
and equivalent questions in Vietnamese by using Contrastive Analysis as
the major method. This contrastive analysis is mainly based on different
research into Yes- No questions by many English and Vietnamese linguists.
In the study, English and Vietnamese Yes- No questions are analyzed in
terms of its form and features to find out the similarities and differences
between the questions in the two languages. These similarities and

differences are clearly shown by the contrastive analysis of forms which
include intonation, inversion and question particles, features of Yes/No
Question content, and features of Yes/No Question in English and
Vietnamese under some linguists’ points of view. It is put the focus on
defining the Yes/No questions which are classified in this thesis. In the last
chapter, based on the work “An Ideal Husband” by Oscar Wilder and its
Vietnamese version translated by Hoàng Nguyên which contain Yes/No
questions, characteristics of English and Vietnamese yes – no questions are
emphasized. Furthermore, some mistakes are listed and classified.
Additionally, some suggested possible solutions for the translating of
English and Vietnamese Yes/No Question are withdrawn to gain an insight
into how to understand the question for the daily communication and
translating work.


LIST OF ABBREVIATIONS
BG

Bố già

CC

Chuyện cười

DC

David Copperfild bản tiếng anh

ĐĐ

Đỏ và đen

FS

Funny Stories

GF

The God Father

IH

Ideal Husband

JE

Jane Eyre/ Jen Ero bản tiếng anh

MNC

Một người chồng lý tưởng

NCP

Những cuộc phiêu lưu của Slerlock Holmes

R

The Red and the Black.

TABLE OF CONTENTS

Certificate of originality

i

Acknowledgements

ii

Abstract

iii

List of abbreviations

iv

Table of contents

v

Chapter 1: INTRODUCTION

1

1.1.

Rationale

1

1.2.

Aims of the study

1

1.3.

Objectives of the study

1

1.4.

Scope of the study

2

1.5.

Methods of the study

2

1.6.

Design of the study

2

Chapter 2 LITERATURE REVIEW

4

2.1.

Review of previous studies

4

2.2.

Review of theoretical background

5

2.2.1 What is contrastive linguistics

5

2.2.2 Overview of questions

5

2.2.2.1. Yes – no question

6

2.2.2.2. Wh – question

6

2.2.2.3. Alternative questions

6

2.2.1.4. Tag questions

6

2.3.

Characteristics of English Yes – No question

7

2.3.1.

Structural characteristics of English Yes – No question

7

2.3.1.1.

Tag question

8

2.3.1.2. Genuine Yes – No question

10

2.3.1.3. Glide up declarative question

10


2.3.1.4. Rhetorical question

11

2.3.2. Semantic characteristics of English Yes – no question

12

2.4.

13

Characteristics of Vietnamese Yes – no question

2.4.1. Structural characteristics of Vietnamese Yes – no question

13

2.4.1.1. Tag question

13

2.4.1.2. Genuine Yes – No question

15

2.4.1.3. Glide up declarative question

16

2.4.1.4. Rhetorical question

16

2.4.2. Semantic characteristices of Vietnamese Yes – no question

17

2.5.

17

The classification of yes- no questions in this study

2.5.1. The classification of English yes- no questions in this study

17

2.5.1.1. Affirmative yes – no questions

18

2.5.1.2. Negative Yes-No questions

21

2.5.2. The classification of Vietnamese yes- no questions in this study

22

Chapter 3: METHODOLOGY

23

3.1.

23

Research-governing orientations

3.1.1. Research questions

23

3.1.2. Research setting

24

3.1.3. Research approach

24

3.1.4. Principles/criteria for intended data collection and data analysis

24

3.2.

25

Research Methods

3.2.1. Major method

25

3.2.2. Data collection

25

3.2.3. Data analysis

26

Chapter 4: FINDINGS AND DISCUSSION

27

4.1.

27

Contrastive analysis of English and Vietnamese Yes/No
Questions

4.2.

Contrastive analysis of yes – no questions in “An Ideal

49


Husband” “Một người chồng lý tưởng”
4.3.

Similarities and differences of Yes/No questions in English and

56

Vietnamese.
4.4.

Show some mistakes in translating and suggested solutions

57

4.4.1. Mistakes in form transfer

57

4.4.2. Mistakes in meaning transfer

58

4.5 Implication on teaching Yes/No questions

60

Chapter 5: CONCLUSION

62

REFERENCES

63

APPENDICES

65


CHAPTER I : INTRODUCTION
1.1.Rationale
Questions had been divided into types whose Yes/No Question is
considered popular in languages including English and Vietnamese.
However, characteristics of Yes/No question are not clearly understood by
almost language learners, especially, it is rather difficult for Vietnamese
learners to translate English (Vietnamese) Yes/No question correctly into
the target language. This sometimes causes mistakes in translation. The
thesis provides the general look into definition and characteristics of English

and Vietnamese Yes/No questions as well as analyzes contrastively English
and Vietnamese Yes-No questions.
Based on the analysis, factors causing common mistakes of Vietnamese
learners in translating Yes/No questions, as well as the similarities and
differences of yes-no questions in the two languages, are going to be shown.
1.2. Aims of the study
The research aims at finding out the similarities and differences between
English and Vietnamese Yes/No questions. Furthermore, Yes/No questions
in the bilingual novel will be selected and mistakes in translation found out
for proper solutions. The research results will help Vietnamese students of
English as Foreign Language (EFL) learners translate the Yes/No questions
from English into VietNamese in an effective way.
1.3. Objectives of the study
To achieve the aims mentioned above, following objectives are put forward:


(i)

Describing the features of Yes/No questions in English and
Vietnamesse.

(ii)

Finding out the similarities and differences between Yes/No
question in English and Vietnamese in terms of its form and
meaning.

(iii)

Suggesting some solutions to the mistakes in translating Yes/No

questions from English into Vietnamese.

1.4. Scope of the study
The scope of this study is defined as an investigation into Yes/No question
in English and Vietnamese. Therefore, the study is limited to this type of
question, not other kinds. The extracted texts in the work: An Ideal
Husband” by OscarWilder and its Vietnamese version “Một người chồng lý
tưởng” translated by Hoàng Nguyên going to include in the analysis to not
only demonstrate the similarities and differences of Yes/No questions in
English and Vietnamese but also find out mistakes in the questions’ form
and meaning between the two books
1.5. Methods of the study
The study mainly uses the contrastive method to analyze forms, contents
and other features of Yes/No questions, , and to contrastively analyze
English -Vietnamese Yes/No questions in translated version.
1.6. Design of the study
The thesis is divided into three parts which are listed as Introduction,
Development, and Conclusion. Among which, part 2 – Development
comprises three chapters:
Chapter 1, Introduction:


Presenting about rationale, aims, objectives, scope of the study.
Chapter 2, Literature Review :
Clarifies the definition of Yes/no questions and characteristics of English
and Vietnamese Yes/no questions.
Chapter 3. Methodology:
Refer to research-governing orientations and research methods of the the
study.
Chapter 4. Findings and discussion

Analyses the data collected to find out the similarities and differences
between English and Vietnamese Yes/No questions.
Furthermore, Yes/No questions in the bilingual novel will be selected and
mistakes in translation found out for proper solutions
Chapter 5. Conclusion
Presenting the review of the study and the references will put the end of the
graduation paper


CHAPTER II LITERATURE REVIEW
2.1. Review of previous studies
Dr.Le Dong (1996) carried out a study on “true questions” on the view of
semantics and pragmatics. The author provided some theoretical
background of questions and their common characteristics based on
different aspects.
Assoc.Prof.Vo Dai Quang (2000) conducted a study to compare and
contrast “true questions” on the fields of semantics and pragmatics in
English and Vietnamese. In the study, the author used both English and
Vietnamese as source and target language in order to find out the
similarities and differences of semantic and pragmatic features of English
and Vietnamese questions. He also dealt with the contrast of different types
of true questions as well aspragmatic means which is often seen in those
questions kinds
Dr.Nguyen Dang Suu (2002) carried out a study of English questions in the
contrast with Vietnamese ones. In details, the author figured out the features
of questions in both English and Vietnamese to have a clear understanding
about ways to form a question and their equivalent meaning in the two
languages. Then, the author studied and compared the pragmatic – semantic
structure to find out the similarities and differences between questions in
English and Vietnamese language. He also conducted surveys to investigate

the understanding of Vietnamese students of questions in the two languages,
then came to some conclusions about the students’ mistakes and suggested
solutions in language teaching. Questions in some books are used as
illustrated examples and as the source to display the mistakes in question
translation in English – Vietnamese.


2.2. Review of theoretical background
2.2.1.What is contrastive linguistics :
“Contrastive linguistics is the systematic comparison of two or more
languages , with the aim of describing their similarities and differences”
(Johansson, 2000)
The basis of contrastive analysis is found via similarities and differences
between the objects. If contrasted languages are similar, lots of similar
features

will be found. On the contrary, if contrasted languages are

different, a lot of differences will be found. Contrastive analysis mainly
focuses on similarities and differences of two or more than two languages.
2.2.2.Overview of questions
A question is a linguistic expression used to make a request for information,
or the request made using such an expression. The information requested
should be provided in the form of an answer.
Questions have developed a range of uses that go beyond the simple
eliciting of information from another party.Rhetorical questions, for
example, are used to make a point, and are not expected to be answered.
Many languages have special grammatical forms for questions (for example,
in the English sentence "Are you happy?", the inversion of the
subject you and the verb are shows it to be a question rather than a

statement). However questions can also be asked without using
these interrogative grammatical structures – for example one may use
an imperative, as in "Tell me your name".There are many kinds of
questions.


2.2.2.1. Yes – no question
According to Richard Nordquist, PH.D in English at Armstrong Atlantic
State University, a Yes-No question is “an interrogative construction that
expects an answer of "yes" or "no."” (Cited in About.com Grammar and
Composition). Basing on characteristics of the question or the answer, with
the idea that a question is “the unknown”, Yes - No question is defined to
contain “opposite choices” in which the affirmative and negative sides are
distinguished. (H.T.P, 1980)
2.2.2.2.Wh- questions
According to Elson and Pickett (1988), A Wh-question is a question that
contains an interrogative pro-form to request. There are basic forms of this
kind of question : Where, when, while, what, who, how. Beside that, these
interrogative questions will be extended into different forms in order to ask
for the information : which, whose, whom, how much, how long, how
many, how far.
2.2.2.3.Alternative questions
According to Richard Nordquist, Grammar and Composition Expert , an
alternative question is a type of question (or interrogative) that offers the
listener a closed choice between two or more answers.
For example :"Would you rather have some wind farms off the Cape Cod
coast, or would you rather have an oil spill? "
(Bill Maher, Real Time With Bill Maher, April 30, 2010)
2.2.2.4.Tag questions

The tag question in the English language is a grammatical structure which
can be added to the clause in conversation or in written representations of
speech. The tag question is mainly added to a declarative sentence, but it
can also be added to imperative sentences. According to Richard Nordquist,
Grammar and Composition Expert , question tags are not independent
clauses, but they do require a response, and are highly interactive.
Structurally, interrogatives are abbreviated yes/no
interrogatives consisting of an operator (either positive or negative) and
a pronoun, which repeats the subject or substitutes for it. Question tags are
attached to one of the following clause types.
For example :
She's living in London, isn't she? /
She isn't living in London, is she?
2.3. Characteristics of English Yes – No question
2.3.1. Structural characteristics of English Yes – No question
According to William Bright in his book “International Encyclopedia of
Linguistics” (1992) [vol 3, 310], Yes – No questions contain certain specific
syntactic features (in form) as follows:
-

Rising intonation at the end of the question

-

Inverting word – order: the verb standing after the subject in

statements is inverted to stand before the subject in the questions
English Yes – No question is divided into many small kinds:
+ Tag question

+ Genuine yes – no question
+ Glide up declaretive question
+ Rhetorical question
2.3.1.1.Tag question :
In English, tag question has a main clause and we are not sure that it is true
or false. So we use the question to check the information or want to seek an
agreement of someone. If we rise intonation at question tag, it means that
we do not know or not sure about the answer. On contrary, if we fall
intonation at question tag, it means that we are seeking an agreement of
person we are talking to.
Tag question is divided into two parts by a comma. If the main clause is
negative, question tag is affirmative and vice versa.
Ex:

You were there, weren’t you?

She went to school yesterday, didn’t she?
Structure:
Negative clause, affirmative tag?
Affirmative clause, negative tag?

Negative clause
Subject auxiliary not

Affirmative tag
main verb

auxiliary

Personal pronoun


(same as subject)?
It

is

n’t

raining

is

Affirmative clause

it?

Negative tag

Subject auxiliary main verb auxiliary Not

Personal pronoun
(same as subject)?

It

is

raining

is

n’t

it?

Sometime, we can use tag question for effect, when we want to emphasize
or make a strong point. Moreover, we can use adverb or adverbial to show
the purpose instead such as right? ok? eh? surely?
Ex:

We go out for dinner, ok?
Chúng ta ra ngoài ăn tối nhé?
Chúng ta ra ngoài ăn tối, được chứ?

When we want to show our interest, surprise, happy, anger,…, ect, we
can use tag question with structure negative clause – negative tag,
affirmative clause – affirmative tag.
Ex:

You think that’s good, do you?
You don’t like my mom, don’t you?

2.3.1.2. Genuine Yes – No question


According to Le (2004), in English we do not use question words, but
question operators (be, can, may…) and intonation in this kind of Yes – No

question.
Ex:

Is there any book on the table?
Có quyển sách nào trên bàn không?

Structure:
Op

S

V……..?

Question operators in English are plentiful (auxiliary and model verbs, to
be). We also make question in negative form and people will expect the
answer is positive rather than negative.
Ex:

Aren’t you at home?
Cậu có ở nhà không?

2.3.1.3. Glide up declarative question
Declarative question is declarative sentence which use rising intonation at
the end to form the question. It has the same grammartical form as a
statement (perfectyourenglish.com). It can be used when the speaker is sure
that he understood what he said before. He just wants to make sure again. In
glide up declarative questions, a rising intonation at the end is common. In
English, there is a special element that is intonation (Le, 2004).
Ex:

You opened the door?
She went to shopping again?


When you ask a question in affirmative form, it means that you expect the
answer is “yes”. On contrary, if you use negative form, it means that you
expect the answer to be “no”.
Ex:

You have never been to HaNoi?
You have been to all the other Asian capitals?

We use positive form to express surprising. If we want to turn a statement to
a question, we will repeat what we said before and rise intonation at the end.
2.3.1.4. Rhetorical question
Rhetorical question is a simple one like any kind of interrogative sentences.
However, it does not require the answer because the answer is obvious and
there is no need to state or the answer is implied within the question. This
kind of question is used for effect rather than to seek information. It makes
the reader to think about the answer.
Ex:

Why me?
Why are you so silly?

Rhetorical question may be ended by a question mark, full stop or
exclamation mark. It has two main functions: negative assertion and
metaphors. When the question is difficult or impossible to answer, the
function is negative assertion. When the question shows humorous, the
function considered as metaphor (Wikipedia).

Ex:

what have you ever done for your family? → Negative

assertion
Is snow white? → Metaphor


2.3.2. Semantic characteristics of English Yes – no question :
William Bright indicated in “International Encyclopedia of Linguistics”
(1992) that question is a kind of general – structured sentence, it has at least
a general function – requiring a certain amount of information. In term of
structure, the author classified question into two main kinds in which Yes –
no question is called general question. He said there is a considerable
similarity on how languages use intonation, word-order and morphology to
distinguish questions and statements.
In term of semantics, questions are different from statements. A question is
not confirmative; therefore it cannot be trueor unreal. As a speech act,
questions are like commands which are expected to be replied in any cases.
Yes – no questions require the answer “yes” or “no”. Some kinds of this
question should be answered “yes” more often than “no”, and vice versa, for
example:
o Has anything happened? (Có chuyện gì không?)
Along with the function of providing a certain amount of information, a Yes
– no question has several other functions. It can be the confirmation without
the answer in words. Semantically, questions express a desire for more
information, usually requesting a reply from the hearer (exceptions include
rhetorical questions (e.g. Isn’t that awful?)).
In his book “A Dictionary of Linguistics and Phonetics” 6th edition (2008),
page 400, David Crystal defined yes – no question as “a sentence with

inversion of the subject and first verb in the verb phrase”:
A term used in the classification of sentence functions, typically used to
elicit information or a response, and defined sometimes on grammatical and


sometimes on semantic or sociolinguistic grounds. Syntactically, in English,
a question is a sentence with inversion of the subject and first verb in the
verb phrase (yes–no questions, such as “Is he going?”)
Randolph Quirk, Sidney Greenbaum, Geoffrey Leech and Jan. A. Svanrtvik
indicated in their book “A Grammar of Contemporary of English” (1972,
128) that question, in general and yes-no question, in particular is firstly
used to display information shortage of certain thing and usually request a
reply in words from the hearer.
2.4. Characteristics of Vietnamese Yes – no question :
2.4.1. Structural characteristics of Vietnamese Yes – no question :
Yes – no questions are either “real” questions or “untrue questions”
depending on different communicative purposes. Yes – no questions are true
questions which express speaker’s doubt. The questions require an answer
to make “the unknown” clear (Nguyen Kim Than, 1964). The author also
put the questions into types of self-asking questions and confirmative
questions. Self-asking ones can be confidences of the speakers; confirmative
questions are used to confirm matters which appear in true-questions, to
help speaker to decide whether he should accept / confirm the certain
amount of information in the sentence.
Yes-No question is divided into many small kinds :
2.4.1.1. Tag question :
In Vietnamese, tag question is translated into the form …phải không? đúng
thế không?; à?; ư?,…., ect.
Ex:

Anh đi Sài Gòn không?


Con chị vừa đậu đại học phải không?
Structure:
S

V

à?
phải không?
…………….

It is used for asking someone to confirm information. We can see that the
structure of tag question in Vietnamese and English has a little difference
from the question tag. In English, tag question is divided by a comma, but in
Vietnamese it is replaced by phải không? à? ư?,..., ect without rising
intonation at the end. And word order of question tag in English is
conversion. The auxiliary and model verbs are converted before the subject
and there is rising intonation at the end. Moreover, when we want to make a
strong point, in Vietnamese we can convert question tag to the beginning.
They are converted to the beginning with the emphasized intention of
speaker.
Ex:

Có đúng là em đã lấy chồng?
Có phải em vẽ bức tranh này?

The question tags are đúng không? được không? có phải không?They can be
linked or seperated from main clause to become another sentence. This is

another different point between English and Vietnamese tag question.
Ex:

Em lấy chồng rồi, đúng không?
Em lấy chồng rồi.Đúng không?


Em lấy chồng rồi.Đúng thế không?
Em lấy chồng rồi.Có phải thế không?
2.4.1.2. Genuine Yes – No question :
In Vietnamese, we use the structure with Có – Không (Yes –No means Có –
Không).
Structures:
S

có

V

S

có phải

S

đã

V

không?

V

không?

chưa?

In Vietnamese, the word order in this kind of Yes – No question like
declarative statement, subject is put in front of verb and combine with
có….không, có phải…..không, đã….chưa.
In addition, in the form with đã….chưa, it is not similar in English. We
often use:
Did you do it?
Rather than:
Did you do it yet?
This form is not shown clearly in English.
Beside that when we use model verb to make question, it is the same in
Vietnamese structure with có thể? được phép? to show the ability and
permission.


Ex:

May I ask you a question?
Tôi có thể hỏi một câu được không?

2.4.1.3. Glide up declarative question
Declarative question in Vietnamese is quite limited. Whenever we want to
form a question, we still need question elements.
Ex:

Anh đã từng đi Hà Nội chưa?

However, we also have a special case, the use of interrogative sentence
based on intonation with structure “còn”. This kind of question is similar to
English, rising intonation at the end.
Ex:

Anh trình bày rõ them về từng nguy cơ

-

Nguy cơ thứ nhất là………

-

Anh nói tiếp nguy cơ thứ hai

-

Đó là lực lượng…….

-

Còn nguy cơ thứ ba?

-

Nhiều đoàn thể quốc gia……..(Hữu Mai)

The tendency of using question is increased gradually in Vietnamese.

However, becauseofour language characteristics, this tendency seems to be
developed slowly and not sure that it is a good respect.
2.4.1.4. Rhetorical question :
In Vietnamese, rhetorical question is quite similar to English. However, It is
used more in literature and effective figurative of speech. It is a question but
no need to answer, and sometime the question about what we have known,
but to acttract attention of other people and make literature style more


flexible. According to Diep (2000), rhetorical question is considered one
kind of fate interrogative sentence. In addition, it is used to present feeling
or make reader thoughtful (Nguyen, 2008).
Ex:

(lạ quá, chim chóc chẳng nghe con nào kêu). Hay vừa có tiếng

chim ở một nơi nào xa lắm, vì không chú ý mà tôi không nghe được chăng?
(Đoàn Giỏi)
Biết đi đâu bây giờ?Về thì đâm đầu vào đâu? (Ngô Tất Tố, Tắt
Đèn)
So we can see that the different between English and Vietnamese rhetorical
question is that the degree of using in literature and in daily life.
2.4.2. Semantic characteristices of Vietnamese Yes – no question :
Author Diep Quang Ban classified yes – no questions, so called un-focus
questions, as questions with particles such as: à, ư, nhỉ, nhé, ạ, hả, hở…
These particles usually take the final position in Vietnamese yes-no
questions. They are often used with a certain purpose of the speaker.
Another type of yes – no question, according to Diep Quang Ban, is
questions combining with intonation. The pitch of this type of question is
put at its focus when there is no sentence final falling tune. Questions which

express opposite meaning commonly begin with “còn” and they have final
rising tune, for example: “Còn nguy cơ thứ ↑ ba?” (DQ. Ban, 1989)
2.5. The classification of yes- no questions in this study
There are some ways to classify yes – no questions into types, however, the
questions are divided into affirmative and negatives ones in this thesis.
2.5.1. The classification of English yes- no questions in this study